Demonland

Whichever way you look at it, the Melbourne Football Club’s 2024 season can only be characterized as the year of its fall from grace. Whispering Jack looks back at the season from hell that was. After its 2021 benchmark premiership triumph, the men’s team still managed top four finishes in the next two seasons but straight sets finals losses consigned them to sixth place in both years. The big fall came in 2024 with a collapse into the bottom six and a 14th placing. At Casey, the 2022 VFL premier which lost an elimination final in 2023 plummeted to 17th with just five wins. Similarly, the 2022 AFLW premiership Demons which had also followed up their flag with a straight sets finals exit, missed out finishing in ninth place. The signs for the club were not good from early on. The Joel Smith suspension fiasco continued as the Sport Integrity Australia (SIA) investigation lingered and was eventually resolved with his outing from the sport after season’s end. Clayton Oliver’s battle with his physical and mental demons continued through the off season and he was barely ready when he returned for the start of play for 2024. Indeed, there were some raised eyebrows at his selection for the opening game. Both club and player persisted even as Oliver collected further injury concerns during the season and despite displaying glimpses of brilliance (sometimes in heroic fashion), his overall performance was well below par for the four-time club best and fairest winner. The fallout from the controversial Brayden Maynard “legal” head high hit on Angus Brayshaw in the Qualifying Final lingered until the eve of the second with the Demons’ premiership champion abruptly retiring from the game on medical grounds after courageously battling concussion issues throughout his illustrious career. A number of players were already sitting out the preseason with injury concerns, most notably Jake Melksham who was recovering from ACL surgery at the end of 2023, Harrison Petty who had made a promising move to the forward line, Charlie Spargo nursing an Achilles which kept him out for all bar the season opener, Lachie Hunter (calf), Shane McAdam (hamstring) and Daniel Turner (hip) while Ben Brown’s knee was to prove a week to week proposition throughout. Kysaiah Pickett was missing for the season opener against the Swans with a week’s suspension incurred in the 2023 semi-final. In the game up in Sydney, Jake Bowey broke his collarbone, an injury that out him for two months. Coach Simon Goodwin is not one to use injuries as an excuse and his team overcame a shaky Round Zero start in steamy conditions at the SCG against eventual grand finalists, the Swans, and went about staking a claim with four consecutive victories, three of them against teams that made the 2024 finals. The Demons easily disposed of the Western Bulldogs and Hawthorn at the MCG before beating Port and then the Crows at Adelaide Oval in the Gather Round. The weight of successive games off short breaks proved too much when they met their match against the slow starting Lions who were on their way to a premiership flag. The bye in Round 6 was handy and Melbourne easily dispatched Richmond after a scrappy first half on Anzac Eve and followed that up with a sterling performance against an undefeated Geelong at the MCG, easily its best win of the season. So far, so good. They were a third of the way into the season and riding high. Max Gawn was at his peak in the ruck, Christian Petracca and Jack Viney were starring in the midfield, Bayley Fritsch was regularly kicking goals and the defence was solid as a rock. Alex Neal-Bullen was quietly building a reputation at high half forward, recruit Caleb Windsor was proving a real find, Judd McVee in defence and Jacob van Rooyen up forward were continuing on an upward trajectory and Daniel Turner was at last looking comfortable, this time as a potential key forward. To top it all off, the injury list was suddenly looking manageable. What could go wrong? The reality was that the team was on the edge of the precipice. After the heroics of the win over Geelong, Melbourne took forty minutes to register its first score against Carlton which led early by six straight goals to nothing in their Round 9 match up. Christian Petracca was moved forward and a blistering five goal display left them one point short against the accurate Blues. Worse was to come a week later when the Demons capitulated to the lowly Eagles in Perth and lost Jake Lever to a knee injury early in that game. The knee was an issue for Lever until the end of the season when he had surgery on it. Confidence was restored a little with a routine win against the Saints that saw the team run away at the end, but a storm was brewing on the horizon. Off the field, the club awaited the SIA verdict amid speculation that other players had been dragged into the now long drawn-out investigation. From time to time, parts of the media revived the story and reminded the world that the ongoing litigation was proceeding, also apparently at snail’s pace. All of these distractions were slowly wearing the club down. Melbourne was finally able to fill its vacant list position and chose a young Western Australian tall, Luker Kentfield from Subiaco. He accepted a rookie spot on the list. On the field, the club’s painful decline accelerated. After the devastation of a 92-point hammering by Fremantle at Alice Springs. the season close to effectively was over by Kings Birthday with Christian Petracca’s calamitous rib and spleen injury after Collingwood’s skipper collided with his back in a marking duel. The inaccurate Demons went down in defeat, heads bowed, bodies bruised and minds dazed. The bye could not have come soon enough. The rest of the season was a roller coaster ride for the Demons, mostly heading in a downward direction. They almost blew a big lead with a poor final quarter against the rising Kangaroos, then they did capitulate late by five points at the Gabba after a brilliant second term against the Lions. They extracted their revenge against the Eagles at home as Jake Melksham returned after 310 days on the sidelines. He kicked two goals while Jacob van Rooyen put on a show and would have finished with a bigger bag than his four goals but for some near missed shots and the extra ruckwork necessitated by Max Gawn’s broken ankle. In the skipper’s absence, they produced an heroic effort against Essendon on a Saturday night at the MCG. Trent Rivers was starting to excel in his conversion to the midfield, Ed Langdon was prolific, Alex Neal-Bullen strong. Despite carrying more than one injury, Oliver was beyond heroic in his efforts to pummel the Bombers and dent their finals hopes. On that subject, a finals appearance was still possible for Melbourne but it was a horror stretch home starting with Fremantle at Optus Stadium. The Dockers’ ruck and midfield power was too much for the Demons and they dominated them with a 50-point win. The Demons looked back on track and at home with a strong start that was wasted against the accurate GWS Giants who took control in the third term and withstood a strong finish to prevail by two points. An ailing Melbourne was thrashed by the Western Bulldogs at Marvel Stadium before another two-point defeat to a finals contender — this time Port Adelaide at the G, the team’s fourth loss on the trot. The season was virtually over when the team made the trip north to the Gold Coast. The Suns 2024 record at People First Stadium was impressive. They had beaten all comers from outside Queensland, their only defeat there was by 28 points to the eventual premiers in Round 20. The wounded Demons went in without superstar midfielders Oliver and Petracca, key defender Steven May, its rising star in Windsor and with skipper Gawn still hampered by his ankle injury. They still managed to smash the home side by nine goals in a stellar display. Langdon, Viney and Rivers starred, the key forwards Turner with four goals and van Rooyen and Petty were on target. Was this a portent of the future? The letdown came in the rain interrupted final round game against Collingwood when a further depleted Melbourne lost without so much as a whimper to finish in 14th place to complete the fall from grace. Pickett was unlucky to suspended for the first three games of 2025 for a hit on Darcy Moore’s head as the Magpie skipper slipped to the ground. All that remained was the count for the Keith ‘Bluey’ Truscott Memorial Trophy which resulted in a narrow win to Viney ahead of Gawn and the departing Neal-Bullen who had earlier announced he was heading home to Adelaide. The immediate post season period was tension filled as off-season controversial dramas swirled around the futures of Petracca, Oliver and Pickett who all appeared set to leave at one stage. In the end, a disastrous interview with commentator Gerard Whateley cost Kate Roffey her role as club chair and an under pressure Gary Pert announced he was quitting soon after. Former skipper Brad Green replaced Roffey on a temporary basis. The long running litigation involving former President Glen Bartlett ended with a statement that all matters were settled and premiership coach Simon Goodwin was cleared of any wrongdoing. The long-awaited result of the Joel Smith investigation saw the player retire from the game after he was suspended for four years and three months for anti-doping rule violations. No other player was named. The drama was by no means over: a review of the club’s activity was conducted, new elections came and went, unhappy and unsettled players stayed and the club lived to fight another day. The Casey Demons never recovered from a shaky start during which they lost key VFL listed signings in Campbell Hustwaite and Leo Connolly through injury in the opening weeks of the season. On top of the retirement of hard man James Munro at the end of 2023, the cupboard was bare and the team muddled its way through the season with a mere five wins — a far cry from its famous premiership season two years earlier. The final blow was the retirement of intrepid leader Mitch White at the end of the season. White comfortably won the best and fairest ahead of Roan Steele and Matt Jefferson who also booted 29 goals to top the goal kicking. The VFL affiliate went to work immediately embarking on a recruiting spree which at this stage looks promising for season 2025. The AFLW Demons also missed the finals. Their fate was partially sealed when the 2024 fixture was released in May. It was a tough draw that ended up even harder as the teams Melbourne played did better than expected and teams it didn’t play, did worse. A slew of injuries to key players, an exodus of quality, battle-hardened teammates, resulting in playing young recruits prematurely, culminated the team winning six games with a lowly percentage (87.9%), and finishing ninth. After winning first up against Geelong, injuries and near misses had them virtually out of the race before a late surge saw them fail by half a game. How much did they rue that after-the-siren defeat against the Dockers at Fremantle Oval and the last-minute withdrawal through injury of skipper Kate Hore in the decisive late season game against the Hawks? The team was again led brilliantly by Hore who won a third successive Daisy Pearce Trophy winner, edging out vice-captain Tyla Hanks by two votes. Maeve Chaplin, put together a career-best season and was named in the All-Australian squad. Eliza McNamara and Sinead Goldrick also stood out. As things stood, the club faced the imperatives of bringing the players together and raising the standard and depth of its playing lists. One of the steps toward achieving the first aim in the preseason was utilising mindset master Ben Crowe who had been involved in the club review. Prior to Christmas a player's camp at Bright, which focused heavily on their connection, perspective and communication, has hopefully laid the foundation for a team revival in 2025. The club's trade and free agency period was mainly uneventful with the club picking up athletic Brisbane Lion Harry Sharp and a backup ruckman in Tom Campbell from St Kilda but it had an excellent draft, securing elite talent in the form of Harvey Langford and Xavier Lindsay with its early picks and a “smokey” in Werribee mature aged forward Aidan Johnson to go with promising NGA rookie Ricky Mentha Jnr. The Casey Demons have also recruited strongly and coach Taylor Whitford will be looking forward to an influx of quality player into his squad. The AFLW team lost long time favourite Lily Mithen but retained Tayla Harris who was sidelined with injury for what was basically the whole of the season. The club was happy with the draft as it welcomed WA star Molly O’Hehir with selection 3, Maggie Mahony from the Oakleigh Chargers and its own “smokey” in cross-code athlete Amelia Dethridge. After a year in which the club suffered its fall from grace, expectations are high for better things to come in 2025.

Here's where Kingy thinks our list is at. From about 2 mins in. David King has grouped each AFL list into tiers ahead of the 2025 season. Taking a Stawell Gift approach, King has handicapped the best 23s of the 18 AFL clubs as if they’re in a race - Off Scratch, Off 3 Metres, Off 5 Metres, Off 8 Metres and then two clubs not even in the conversation. “Just lists, not about how they’ll perform or whether you like them or dislike them,” King said on SEN Breakfast. “This is like the old Stawell Gift style, off scratch. “It’s the best 23 that the coach has to work with on a weekly basis.” Off Scratch Top tier Fremantle Brisbane GWS Giants “Then I feel there’s a little gap.” Off 3 Metres Down a rung Hawthorn Collingwood Carlton Geelong Melbourne Off 5 Metres Good average list Sydney Gold Coast Essendon Adelaide Western Bulldogs Off 8 Metres Two rungs below AFL average St Kilda North Melbourne Port Adelaide Not in the conversation Richmond West Coast

Veteran Demonland Trackwatcher Picket Fence ventured down to Casey Fields to bring you his observations from Friday's Match Simulation. Greetings Demonlanders, beautiful Day at training and the boys were hard at it, here is my report. NO SHOWS: Luker Kentfield (recovering from pneumonia in WA), also not sure I noticed Melky (Hamstring) or Will Verrall?? MODIFIED DUTIES (No Contact): Sparrow, McVee (foot), Tracc (ribs), Chandler, (AC Joint), Fullarton Noticeable events (I’ll skip training Drills and get right into match sims) A) PLAYERS Max was back to full Match Simulations and although a little rusty looked very fit and ready for action. In fact, the ruck duels between him and Tom Campbell were very intriguing! Max got plenty of it and marked around the ground, but I was very impressed with Tom and he might well be looked at to support Max in Games. Sestan played down back and didn’t look all that comfortable. Aiden Johnson played forward and took one very strong mark and was involved in some passages of play but did little else. Shane McAdam might have kicked a goal but did little else that I saw. Harry Petty returned to the backline and looked very comfortable. Rick Lever also joined in match sims and as he always does finds himself the ball and linked in very well. Marty Hore plays taller than he looks and competes very well. Jacob van Rooyen TOOK the mark of the day and converted truly and contested very well as he always does. Harry Sharp was lively and his movement up and down the ground was seamless. THE GENERAL Steven May did as he usually does and looks like having a great year. B) MATCH SIMS PLAY STYLE Another poster was correct in his impressions of skills. However, a few things stood out for me. 1. Because players know the game style well and are drilled extensively in defending the footy when you haven’t got it, they automatically revert to a ‘HUNT IN PACKS ‘Mentality. Today if you tried to finesse too much you got caught and tackled MERCILESSLY. 2. The corridor was not used as much as I have previously seen in match sims and so little sideways kicks featured prominently. 3. Skills were a little hit and miss on occasions but given the intensity of match play this replicated REAL match conditions which should hold us in great stead for the year. 4. Our boys look SUPER FIT, No one gasping for air and everyone showing pace run and carry. C) DEDICATED PLAYER WATCH 1. WHO THE HELL WAS THE PLAYER WITH NO NUMBER AND WORE A WHITE ZINC CREAM ACROSS HIS NOSE??? Whoever he was he was fantastic … took several strong marks and kicked 2 goals 1 (missed a sitter) PLAYED like a souped up Fritta! but is right footed !!! Admin Edit: Most likely ex-Eagle Jai Culley 2. JACK BILLINGS Was phenomenal today, was in everything, tackled hard disposed of the pill well and set up some goals and kicked a few himself I thought he was sensational. 3. THE DYNAMIC DUO….. CLARRY and JACK VINEY Clarry is almost back to his best looks super fit and really is in “Beast” Mode. DITTO J.V just does not know when and how to give in. Clarry’s disposal was occasionally off radar but generally very very sound. 4. BILL LAURIE As Gomer Pyle would say SURRPRISE SURPRISE SUUUURPRISE, looks a lot more composed, got plenty of it and used it well. 5. ED LANGDON Say no more the fluid running machine and glue that binds a lot of our fortunes together! 6. KOSSY, RICKY, ROY GEORGE AND AMW Kozzy is a FREAK, his feet are quicker than Rudolph Nureyev and yes he occasionally tries to do too much but BOY can he play,. Ricky Mentha and Roy have more tricks than a contortionist after being inspired by watching “The Road Runner” BEEP BEEP. AMW??? Boy do I love his run and carry out of the backline, Just exhilarating when it all comes together 7. JEFFO Hmm well he kicked 2 goals 3 (the 3 were difficult shots with one hitting the post on the run. Look he just looks a natural player and yes, he laid some good tackles was instrumental in creating two goals and took a couple of strong contested grabs. 8. HARVEY LANGFORD Boy HE is a JET ... WILL PLAY ROUND 1 Superstar in the making just has awareness, space , toughness , run and SKILLS Finally, I would like to dedicate this training report to Australian of the Year Neale “The Reverend” Daniher and also to Hardtack. Hope you get better soon pal.

How good is Harvey Langford.

Actual vision from Today's match simulation.

This is what ChatGPT had to say about todays session. On Friday, January 31, 2025, the Melbourne Football Club conducted a pre-season training session at Casey Fields, with a focus on match simulation and skill refinement. The session was well-attended by both players and coaching staff, all demonstrating a high level of commitment as the season's commencement approaches. Training Activities: Match Simulation: The team engaged in extensive match simulation drills, emphasizing strategic plays and in-game decision-making. This allowed players to practice under game-like conditions, enhancing their readiness for the upcoming season. Skill Development: Players participated in drills aimed at improving ball handling, kicking accuracy, and defensive maneuvers. These exercises are crucial for maintaining and elevating the team's overall performance standards. Player Updates: Max Gawn: The team captain, recovering from a fractured larynx sustained in December, continued his rehabilitation. He is currently in a non-contact training phase and is expected to rejoin full training in the coming weeks. Jake Lever: The defender, who underwent knee and shoulder surgeries in the off-season, has been focusing on running exercises and shoulder mobility. He is anticipated to return to full contact training by the end of January. Charlie Spargo: After being sidelined for most of 2024 due to an Achilles injury, Spargo has been reintegrating into skills training with the group. He is on track to participate fully in training sessions post-Christmas Coaching Remarks: The coaching staff expressed satisfaction with the players' efforts and progress during the session. They highlighted the importance of these pre-season activities in building team cohesion and fine-tuning strategies ahead of the competitive season. Next Steps: The team will continue its rigorous training schedule, with upcoming sessions focusing on tactical drills and physical conditioning. The coaching staff plans to monitor player workloads to ensure optimal performance and injury prevention as the season approaches. Overall, the Melbourne Football Club's pre-season preparations are progressing well, with players demonstrating dedication and a strong work ethic in anticipation of a successful 2025 season.

A number of Demonland Trackwatchers swooped on Gosch's Paddock to bring you their observations from this morning's Preseason Training Session. DEMON JACK'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS Beautiful morning at Gosch's Paddock. Very healthy crowd so far. REHAB: Fullerton, Spargo, Tholstrup, McVee Viney running laps. EDIT: JV looks to be back with the main group. Trac, Sparrow, Chandler and Verrell also training away from the main group. Currently kicking to each other inside the 50 before attempting a running shot for goal. Trac with a couple of absolute bullets that sounded amazing off the boot! The main group has now split into two. The group closest to us have also split in half and look to be practicing transition from defence to the forward line. Trac is fully participating in this drill. Lever very vocal in defense and competing well against Jefferson and Turner. Laurie has been a standout so far with his give, receive then forward 50 entries. JVR with a nice bit of forward craft. Lost Petty and led to the beautiful pass of Sharp. He then converted beautifully from 50m. The boys are now in a new drill focusing on short kicks around the 50. Kalani White is here and participating. First time I've seen AJ in person. Imposing presence and looks a likely type. Easy to see why he's being mooted for a round 1 spot. Laurie again lowers his eyes and nails a pass to JVR who takes a strong mark. Rinse and repeat one minute later only for TMac to intercept with a late spoil. We're now in a high paced handball/keepings off drill. Melksham showcasing all of his years of experience as he twists and turns through traffic. Turner and Petty also surprisingly agile and skillful for big men. Blake Howes and AJ take turns in wrapping up Kozzy (not an easy thing to do!) who pivots and divots but can't quite break away from traffic. We're now in some good old fashioned match sim that is taking place in one half of the ground. Tom Campbell has great touch for a big man. Harvey Langford showing his strength by shaking off a tackle and nailing a pass to the player on the wing. Roo marking absolutely everything. Jeffo not so much. Full oval match sim now. Rivers showing great run and carry in the middle but has flubbed a few easy kicks. Clarry cleverly intercepts a Kozzy handball and nicely delivers the ball inside 50. He is looking fit. Salem has his kicking boots on today. Nails a pass to Jeffo in the pocket who snaps truly. JVR very vocal inside 50. JVR with a huge specky to the delight of the members standing around the boundary! Windsor doesn't run, he glides. Love watching him move around the ground. He'll be an asset no matter where we decide to play him this year. McAdam showing fantastic dash. Harvey Langford looks the goods on traffic. Footy IQ seems high. As I type that, Langford nails Riv in a brutal tackle that can be heard around the ground. Salem takes a courageous intercept mark going back with the flight. His kick falls short of AJ inside 50 who recovers beautifully before turning around nailing a short pass to Clarry. Langford out bodies Kozzy and takes a strong mark in the centre. Jeffo out bodies TMac nicely but just can't get them to stick (probably would've received a free kick anyway because of a chopping of the arms). Roy George (I think) nails a sizzling pass inside 50 to Kozzy. A nice bit of run and carry from Sestan (who's looked good today) leads to Langdon marking inside 50. Jeffo finds himself with the ball on the midfield and takes a bit too long to get rid of it. Absolutely dumped in a tackle by Clarry. TMac training with the forwards at the moment. As is Kynan Brown. Looks like that's a wrap! CLANIKO'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS Now split into two groups on opposite wings working the ball about 30 metres using only handpasses. White shirts vs reds with tackling. Kozzy a tackling beast as expected. Trac, Chandler and sparrow were in the no touch fluro hats earlier but now are doing some kicking work with light pushing in the contest. Full ground match sim I believe 13v13 with one player in a bib playing for the attacking team. JvR looking good as deepest forward playing on McDonald, tmac copped a big knee in the back with JVR taking a mark on him. Jed Adams ignored Lever calling for an easy short kick inside and opted to go the long kick down the line that got intercepted, copped a bit of a spray from lever for it. Midfield seemed pretty mixed. I think it was A backline vs A forward line at one end and B backline vs B forwards at other end. A end was JVR, Jeffo and Turner lining up against May and TMax. This split would have Lever in the B team though so tough to tell. DITCHA'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS I attended some of the training session this morning. I as very impressed with some of Bill Laurie's efforts. Jvr was marking everything including a great mark over Tmac. Trac is looking in good condition, and ready to go. Clayton Oliver looks very fit, and is in everything. Jack Billings looks very fit, and very keen to have a big season. KEV MARTIN'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS Rehab on the paddock as I approach. Sparrow and Chandler in the yellow no contact cap, Tracc, and Verral, plenty of ball handling and running. Viney doing his own program. McVee and Fullarton running laps. Tholstrup in his own program. Spargo still on his own program, looking leaner than early on in preseason. No Kentfield again. They main group of about 40 players, gathered, looked at the board and half of them turned their jersey's inside out, creating light and coloured groups. In the warm up kicks, Williams took Langford aside and put pressure on him to get his left foot working with precision. Good to see Lever, Lindsay and Woey in full training. A bit of wind around, they handled it well. The warm-up drills were done with plenty of skill and voices. The score board was up and running. They started a competitive kicking, then handball game in small areas. The rehabbers, Sparrow, Chandler, and Tracc, stepped into the kicking (no contact) game and separated from the handball one as it was contact. The sims began 4 Quarters of about 7, 8 minutes each. Lights well ahead, then got over run by colours, who evened it up with the wind advantage and continued to against the wind. The backline of Tmac, and Windsor piercing the centre corridor got them dominating. McAdam has found his mojo, running offensively and defensively (I think he is trusting his body), He is very quick, involved, and skilful. Lindsay playing wing against Woewodin, was heavily involved. He has a good tank, in the with the backs, then to the forward area. Closer down quickly, wants to get the ball, wants to stop the opposition. Works well as an outside runner. Langdon played in the centre, alongside Clarry and Langford (could be an ANB substitute), got plenty of forward possessions. Laurie in the centre mids, moving well, getting plenty and using good skills. JVR, getting some good looks at it in Central positions Fritta playing wide and high. Finding it difficult to get them kicking it to him. Melksham looking good with leadership qualities. Petty got some mongrel going, even with own players. When they set up for the sims, Windsor starts off the half-back. They are really pushing high up the ground as forwards or backs. Meaning Caleb is forward of centre as they compact the contested area. The backs had TMac as the last man in one set up I saw, with May on his right side. The forwards had JVR as the last man who was loose on regular occasions, with the backs pushing past the 50 arc. The wings had, Billings, Sharp, Woewodin and Lindsay most of the time. Langdon was in with the centre mids. Brown was set as a half-forward, as they started the sim, then often working like a winger as Windsor did. Though not matched up with a player, so outnumbering the opposition's wingman. I think Caleb is playing out of the backline. I haven't seen him starting on the wing in the sims yet. I was impressed with Lindsay in the wing position. Sharp definitely has the tank and speed. My worry is, does he get enough of the ball and can he use it well. A few off kicks/turnovers today. Then there is Billings, Woewodin, Sparrow, Brown, even Bowey and Rivers. Our set ups are going to be interesting. Many options, and pressure for positions, especially with Melky, Salem and McAdam doing well in preseason. Mentha is improving, then there is AMW, Laurie and Hore, Johnson and Campbell. Sestan, Jefferson, Adam and Howes also in the mix. I haven't been able to leave many out of the possibilities. We have good depth this year. HARVEY WALLBANGER'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS All in attendance today except Luker Kentfield - hasn't been seen for a while? Roy George, Mitch Hardie and (I think) Jai Culley "train-on" players. McVee, Trac, Spargo, Tholstrup, Sparrow, Fullarton, Chandler in rehab. Verrall seemed to be in and out of it. Viney threw his strapping away and joined the main group early. Petty continued to train down back, Disco up forward - interestingly they seem to be trying Sestan down back (and he looked OK). As per other comments, Clayton, Rivers and Windsor looking great through the mid-field in match sim. McAdam (very lively again), Johnson and JVR normally deepest with Fritter playing a lot more upfield - maybe just to get more work into him. Max back to full training and Campbell was making him work. Campbell looking like he will be a capable (if not like-for-like) replacement should he be needed. Still no sign of JVR or Johnson doing any secondary ruck-work (who will it be?). Lever back into the main group and he and May doing their usual thing - TMac also down back - does he fit in with Petty also back? Other random observations - Howes continues to look good, Adams seems to have discovered a bit of spark. Salem used a lot in the yellow vest (overlap) player in the match sim. WAYNE WUSSELL'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS Teams very competitive in competitive skills training. Lots of encouragement from players on the boundary line waiting to rotate. Many physical exchanges throughout. Tackling was fierce. disposal skills were mostly very good. I didn't see AMW or Kentfield Hore has developed a defender's 'mean-streak'. He put Melksham and one other very close to the fence with aggro nudges across the boundary line. Ricky Mentha is finding a lot of ball and delivering at pace in match sims. May has lost none of his physical aggression but still is a little wayward with some passes. If Billings is competing with Sharp for a spot on the wing, I have Billings ahead on training form. I asked Kilani if he was coming, he responded with, "How you going"... maybe he didn't hear me clearly, it was very windy! Fritsch continues to play further up the field and he seems up for the challenge. Cool in traffic, constantly on the move. Spargo was running the boundary at a hot pace and seemingly unhindered. Max took part in match sims and competitive drills. Showed his strengths! Langdon is in superb touch. Langford is looking like a round 1 starter these days. Maintaining the pre-season excellence -> Rivers, Oliver, Salem, Windsor & McDonald Woewodin is developing. He puts body into every contest (courageously), tackles well and has stamina. Only a shade behind Sparrow in a similar position... might be the 'Nibbler' type. If I was picking a round one team based on today's session (and on who looks 100% available) it would be this, B: McVie, May, McDonald HB: Salem, Lever, Windsor C: Billings, Viney, Langdon HF: Fritsch, Turner, Petracca F: McAdam, Van Rooyen, Chandler R: Gawn, Oliver, Rivers Int: Petty, Laurie, Melksham, Langford, Howes SCOOP JUNIOR'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS I also went down to training this morning. Didn't see Kentfield or AMW. McVee and Fullarton ran a lot of laps and didn't look overly hindered. Spargo was in a singlet (not the training jumper the players wear) doing his own thing - would seem to be a while away. When I got there they were doing two groups of a short kicking game. Looked like the aim was to practice hitting up precise kicks through a zone (picking the right option and executing) while for the defending team it was to get in the right position and then try chop off the kicks. There was no tackling and ball movement was pretty much by foot only. Trac, Sparrow and Chin participated in this wearing the yellow hats. Jake Melksham landed a few lovely weighted passes that somehow bypassed the zoning players. They then moved into a handball game, working on moving the ball by hand in tight, defending the ball movement by hand and constantly running up and back. This was with tackling and the yellow-hatters stepped out of this drill. Max and Lever participated and looked to be back in full training. They then moved into match sim. It wasn't an intra-club or anything like that, it seemed more about full ground ball movement. There was tackling and contact but it didn't appear to me to be at practice match / intra-club type ferocity. Also, there weren't any stoppages around the ground. I thought the ball movement was pretty slick and fast for the most part, but hey, it's far from the pressures of a game against genuine opposition. Positionally, Petty was in defence. Fritsch played further up the ground (half forward). One would question why you wouldn't want a player with Fritsch's nous and goal kicking ability as close to goal as possible, but seeing him roll onto the left and lace out some lovely passes into leading forwards probably answers that question. I thought Adams made a few good desperate spoils. JVR leapt well at the ball and took a nice hanger on TMac from a long Rivers kick that sat up perfectly for him. Speaking of Rivers, he did seem to use that long leg on most occasions, driving the ball deep inside 50. They then went back into the handball game before then going back to more of the ball movement match sim. The yellow-hatters didn't do the match sim, Trac ran some laps and just looks in ripping shape. At one stage Oliver really put on the after-burners to chase down a player and I thought to myself, why go so hard, you could nick a hammy (MFCSS). After the chase he went to ground and started stretching his leg and then walked off the ground and I thought, that's why! But he came back on a few minutes later and resumed playing in the match sim and seemed to play it out. That would suggest it was likely cramp although I do remember him playing out the game after his hammy against Port (more MFCSS). Just finally, it's hard to stand out in the way you run/move when out there with 35 other professional athletes, but gee two players for me just looked on a different level with how they cover the ground. The first was Kozzie with his lateral movement. It's nothing we don't know, but his ability to twist and turn and sidestep is quite remarkable - they just couldn't tackle him. The second was Windsor. He is one of those runners that looks like they are skiing down a mountain. He just eats up the ground and is so effortless in his running style. SLARTIBARTFAST'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS Sestan worked very well off half back, he's a very good kick. McAdam was a star in a lot of the drills. If he stays fit we have something. At one stage Windsor had the ball running to goal. Lingers decided to run him down. Did manage it despite Duke going at 85%. Windsor and Kossie, as Scoop said, stand out with their physical attributes. Roy George continues to impress. Does some special things. I was on his bandwagon at the end of last season but I am now. He's got some special attributes. I disagree with WW. The match sims are not all that physical. It's tackle with care and little contact in the air but Tmac might have a word with JvR. Addition: had a long chat with Kingy, was really approachable and happy to talk. He's a big fan of Windsor going back "because you don't get enough of the ball on the wing". He thought as a team we had the greatest highest and lowest variance. He had a long chat to Trac, I love to know what he thinks now.

Melbourne skipper Max Gawn has declared his club won’t “start in the negative” this year, claiming a mindset change and critical pre-season camp had set the foundation for the team flip its fortunes. After three consecutive top-four finishes – including the 2021 flag – the Demons were one of the shock 2024 sliders, finishing in 14th spot on the ladder – albeit with an 11-12 record and percentage of 98.5. It came amid serious questions over the club’s culture and trade speculation surrounding superstar duo Clayton Oliver and Christian Petracca, who ultimately opted to remain at the club. But the Demons this summer have placed an emphasis on player connection, with leadership coach Ben Crowe brought in to help facilitate the mindset approach. “The fact we had someone external and we went away to Bright, which made it more unique being in a different place. We got some really good people who got up and told some good home truths and some good stories … the stuff off the field is really exciting,” Gawn told The Age. “To be able to start (the year) on an even playing field and even potentially with a positive, given what we have delved into in this space would put us ahead of some groups in this space, then our footy can do the talking. “We don’t have to start in the negative and clean up what is happening off the field while trying to play competitive footy against sides better than us both (on and off the field).” Fellow Demons leader Jack Viney told the Herald Sun coach Simon Goodwin declared completing a 2km time trial at the start of the Bright camp “probably wasn’t what we needed as a group”, instead bringing in Crowe to help the playing group focus on perspective and communication. “Typically, you come back day one of pre-season and you can be straight into time trials and that sort of stuff, but I think it is why ‘Goody’ is such a good coach,” Viney told the Herald Sun. “I think over the course of history, if you looked, all of the successful teams – you see the connection and the bond created. Melbourne players Jack Viney, Christian Salem and Max Gawn promote the club's new jumper sponsor with Grill’d. Picture: Melbourne FC.Source: Supplied “It is almost the number one thing. Without that there is not much point in doing too much else.” Viney said there were “robust” but healthy discussions held among Demons players at the camp that had given the group “optimism about what we are able to achieve”. “I’m really thankful we had these conversations which, at the time, can be challenging but I think when you come out the other end of it, you come away optimistic and really excited about the future of the footy club,” he said. Gawn suggested Goodwin, who comes out of contract at the end of 2026, had returned to training with a noticeable “edge”. “He’s (Goodwin been open to feedback. He has given us some feedback. He’s got married and since his wedding – he must have had some time to think in Bali – he has come back with a bit of an edge,” Gawn said. “He has got his competitive voice back, and he’s back into training and he’s yelling. It’s good.”

Melbourne The Demons have had the odd setback but nothing to threaten availability ahead of round one. Gawn is recovering well from a larynx issue and Petracca suffered a broken rib but has been running hard. Kysaiah Pickett returned to training after a leg infection sidelined him and the unlucky Tom Fullarton continues to rehab a hamstring injury. First-round draft pick Xavier Lindsay’s build-up is gradual as he was drafted while rehabilitating a posterior cruciate ligament injury, while intercept defender Jake Lever’s build-up from shoulder and knee operations has been steady.

Demonland Trackwatchers were out in force for training at Gosch's Paddock on Wednesday morning for the MFC's School Holidays Open Training Session. DEMONLAND'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS REHAB: TMac, Chandler, McVee, Tholstrup, Brown, Spargo Brown might have passed his fitness test as he’s back out with the main group. Sparrow not present. Kozzy not present either. Mini Rehab group has broken off from the match sim (contact) group: Max, Trac, Lever, Fullarton, Woey, Jefferson Petty playing in defense in the match sim. WAYNE WUSSELL'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS Chin out if sling. Just a bandage high on right arm, doing boundary runs at half pace, not able to swing that right arm. Jefferson back from protocols. Tholstrup doing short passes to trainer on the lead. 38 players in main group, 3 train ons, haven’t seen Kossie. Rick Lever in main group. Up till now, two groups ball movement, low pressure, constant motion. Key forwards leading patterns, no opponents. Fritta playing more mid in full ground sim, wearing yellow vest which seems to indicate he can kick either way. Sestan nice spoil on Bowey, gathers ball and snaps truly. Clayton and Caleb involved in multiple link up chains, scorched Earth! Great tackle on Viney by Bill. Campbell takes screamer over Verrall, Howes marking well on intercept. McAdam caught by Hore, holding the ball! 40, 33, 11, 5, 21 & 8 running laps at pace Great mark by Hore in big pack. JVR finds McAdam in lead. Ollie in 40+ form, running riot! Goody gives Ollie a pat on the back for his efforts during a short break. Gigantic hit by Adams on Disco (I think) in a pack knocked the stuffing out of him. He was struggling to recover for 10 minutes. Some other thoughts about training today. Melksham and JVR were the most effective forwards. Both seem set for a bright 2025. Fritsch was also good but played further from goal much of the time... still managed to snag 2 or 3! Billings and Short spent a lot of time on each other (on the wing I presume, although they roamed far and wide). I thought Billings had the better of the duel. Roy G was more involved today. Ricky Mentha was impressive in run and carry Jed Adams has definitely improved and is having more impact as a key back. Jack V is running with the ball more than previously, but his opponents know that they can catch him and did so on more than the odd occasion. The stand outs for me in match sim were Clayton & Caleb, closely followed by Rivers, Fritsch and Melksham. McAdam was offering good leads and took several marks in front of opponent. Bill Bailey is also having more input than previously. Tom Campbell is the dominant ruck with Max being on lighter duties. Langford and Lindsay did well with ball in hand but were not prolific (Clayton, Caleb and Rivers were) FRITTA AND TURNER'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS Happy New Year everyone. A slight cool wind but after the last days heat a welcome relief. GhostWriter putting in a solid performance at the sausage sizzle. Dominated at the till. Players out on the track at 9.30. Didnt see Sparrow, Kozzie and Kentfield. Kynan doing rehab then joined in with the main group. Chin has a troublesome right arm/shoulder but can still run Spargo, TMc, McVee, Kolt in rehab doing handball drills. After, Kolt ran with Chin. Max aint getting any quicker. Jeffo trained like he thought he belonged. Confidence is up. To me some players at training seem to be invisible but today I give a nod to Adams, Sesso and Howes. May has an incredible physical presence. Intimidating. Mentha and George looked good, quick to turn the other way. Fritta trained in a yellow vest. Kids love Tracca and lots of them were there. Obviously we are looking for quick ball movement with one of the drills being to move the ball on in 3 seconds. If the vibe of the group is anything to go by then some of last years issues have dissipated. Steven Smith in attendance. I ate 2 sausages. DITCHA'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS I attended some of the training session this morning. Very impressed with with turnout of fans watching, including a reporter from the Herald sun. Bill Laurie was very impressive in match sim with some great efforts. Clarrie looks very fit, and keen to have a great season. Howes did some very good work in defence during match sim. Ghostwriter's sausage sizzle seemed to be always very busy. SLARTIBARTFAST'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS Just back from training, I left before they'd finished. I didn't take much out of today other than Pup did the whole session after an initial fitness test. Chin did a mountain of running but didn't move his right arm and then did some gentle ball work not using his right arm. Tmac was there initially but didn't do any of the training that I saw but didn't look to have any injury. Sparrow and Kossie were no shows. I didn't see Knuckles either. Kolt didn't participate in any of the training drills that I saw but did a lot of running and showed no discomfort. The full ground drills were 14 v 14 and there was lots of open space. As in other training sessions Clarrie and Duke impressed, Howes was involved and made very few mistakes and the usual suspects did well. AJ also hasn't put a foot out of place this preseason and will be an interesting watch. Trac, Gawny, Fullarton, Woey, Lever and Jeffo ran laps. Langford, Mentha and Lindsay didn't participate in full ground drills but did a far bit of boundary sprinting while the drills were on. I reckon there was a lot of management of players going on today after a big session on Monday in high heat. The only players who look a way off are Spargs who just ran and did agility exercises and Chin. Lever still hasn't been involved in much and given that he is a player who needs games to find form could also be a question mark for the start of the season if all the other talls are fit. As already stated Disco copped a big hit in a marking contest but nobody went to him as he recovered on the boundary line and there didn't appear to be any long term damage. WHISPERING JACK'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS I reckon Clarry's career is going to blossom from here. We know that he was severely restricted by circumstance for the last season and a half and his body shape last year was never quite right after his interrupted preseason, but it's clear that he's worked hard to get back to his superstar self and that will pay handsome dividends in 2025. BITTER BUT OPTIMISTIC'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS Just a couple of observations. Tmac. In rehab but geez I reckon he’s shed a few kegs. Clarrie. Also looked in terrific condition and moved really smartly in both match sims and other drills. I reckon he’s back ! JVR. Was very clean with his hands. Admittedly he wasn’t under real pressure but I’m hoping he’s developing into a one grab man. Was also moving very well and exuded confidence in everything he was doing. Big year coming up? Trac. Looked ripped as ever and, perhaps more importantly, looked at ease with the world. Tom Campbell. First time I’ve seen this bloke. He’s a big bastard. Looks a real head beater! Harvey Langford. Saw him do a bit. He seems very comfortable in the group and demonstrated good kicking skills. He will be a good size when he adds a bit of upper body muscle. KEV MARTIN'S PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS Really confused about our squad today, wasn't sure who was out there. When I first arrived I only saw Chandler and Koltyn in rehab. Chin was running the boundary, strapped left shoulder, heard him say the injury was in the joint of the shoulder area and could be 3 to 4 weeks. Koltyn did an agility test in boots (failed the test) then into runners and doing some boundary sets. He is looking bigger bodied this time out. The other rehabbers, Tracc, Gawn, Woewodin, Lever, Fullarton, and Jefferson, participated in the warm-up and some non-contact drills, then ran laps when the sims started, and drilled in rehab group. I think Jefferson had a run in the sims. Tmac and McVee in runners on the bike early and then Judd did some jogging away from Gosh's. Spargo still doing his own program. I saw Mentha early on, but couldn't see him later on. Sparrow was in casual gear, and hanging around the tent. No Kentfield or Kossie. Turner was getting some sim time. Had a big collision with Jed Adams, looked in pain spending a couple of minutes on the deck. Walked off to the boundary, waved the trainers away, then the sims finished. Looked like no injury was sustained. Sims were done with fewer turnovers through the middle today. The backs with Adams are Howes did well. Plenty of pressure, spoils and good decisions. Clarrie looking fit, he got very creative out there, taking them on, keeping them guessing and with plenty of involvement. McAdam found space and separation many times, in the forward area. Some of our ball movement was fast, often finding the central corridor after moving the ball around in the arc of the backline. JVR getting his mojo going, attempting pack marks, and demanding the ball with his presence. Fritsch has been working on his defensive skills, saw him attack the ball carriers one after another. Sharp is a difficult match up as he runs hard and can switch up the pace. Just wish he would get more disposals. Langdon was getting a few balls in the forward 50 as he ran the rails. Melksham is doing well, in lots of contests and winning enough of them. Windsor is also running well off the halfback. Love when the ball is in his hands. AMW is playing good consistent footy. Sestan is chasing everyone, again one that doesn't get enough of the ball. Verral needs some confidence, only saw him do a couple of good things. A little more time at Casey I reckon. We were short of numbers today, some run-ons including Noah Yze were with us. Plenty of fans and fun. BC_1718_DC PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS Sparrow sat out training after a heavy hit on Monday with a laceration on his cheek that needed multiple stitches. (Unsure if he’s officially in concussion protocols but not taking any risks) Chandler has a slight ac joint injury, not a serious one. Club isn’t too concerned. Kynan Brown escaped the “syndesmosis” with his ankle injury (from Monday’s session) which is great news. HERALD SUN PRESEASON TRAINING OBSERVATIONS • Kozzy Pickett’s absence - The Demons have confirmed that Pickett was back in Melbourne on Wednesday, after missing Monday’s session to head home to WA for personal reasons. However, he missed midweek training due to an infection in his leg. • Harrison Petty was in the backline in match simulation. Alan Richardson quoted: [Petty’s] “versatility can be a real weapon for us” and the plan was for him to spend time at both ends. • Players “ripping it up” included ~ * a leaner Clayton Oliver prominent in match simulation, showing clean hands and involved in many chains working up and down the field, * “smooth-moving runner Caleb Windsor in everything, finding the footy on the outside, • Blake Howes, Bailey Laurie caught the eye and Jake Melksham and Bayley Fritsch lively in attack and Shane McAdam taking some nice marks on the lead. • New faces Harvey Langford and Xavier Lindsay managed in a lighter session, taking part in warm-up drills before doing some work on their own, along with rookie Ricky Mentha Jr who also impressed. Ruckman Tom Campbell dominated as Max Gawn sat out and athletic mature-age forward Aidan Johnson impressed as a target in attack. • taking it easy. Captain Gawn (larynx) and star midfielder Christian Petracca (ribs) are in non-contact training and did some warm-up drills before joining the rehab group which includes Jake Lever, Tom Fullarton, Matthew Jefferson and Kynan Brown who later joined the main group. Koltyn Tholstrup completed his own light training, mostly running laps while defenders Tom McDonald and Judd McVee spent time on exercise bikes before leaving training. • wounded soldiers - Tom Sparrow was in civvies and sporting sandals a nasty bruise and cut on his cheek that needed stitches. Charlie Spargo (achilles tendon surgery last July) did some light running on one side of the ground and Kade Chandler ran laps for most of the session with strapping high on his right arm. Late in the match simulation session, Daniel Turner was winded in a marking contest.

Petty playing in defense in the match sim.

Mini Rehab group has broken off from the match sim (contact) group: Max, Trac, Lever, Fullarton, Woey, Jefferson

Small forward stocks very light.

Kozzy not present either.

Sparrow not present

Brown might have passed his fitness test as he’s back out with the main group.

REHAB: TMac, Chandler, McVee, Tholstrup, Brown, Spargo