Part 3: A minor dream for the premier team
Coming from a position where Melbourne’s initial first pick in the 2021 AFL National Draft was at #33, the club has managed its first post-premiership trade and draft period quite nicely.
The year ended with the 23 playing representatives in the premiership match and a number of close contenders for places within that group intact and at the club — a number of them came out with extended contracts.
That should be an impressive enough outcome but so is the number of players on its lists who have yet to make AFL debuts for Melbourne: —
They are Primary listers in Luke Dunstan, Blake Howes, Bailey Laurie, Fraser Rosman, Jacob Van Rooyen and Taj Woewodin and Rookies, Majak Daw, Judd McVee, Deakyn Smith and Daniel Turner (Category A) and Andy Moniz-Wakefield (Category B). These players constitute 25% of the list at various stages of their careers who add to the team’s depth and development potential. .
The club’s list improvement gained early momentum with the addition of free agent Luke Dunstan from the Saints, fresh off an 11 Brownlow vote season. The drafts that followed turned out a minor dream.
The Demons turned picks 17, 37, 49 and 57 into the selection of versatile key position player Jacob Van Rooyen (#19) who already has 5 games at senior WAFL level with Claremont under his belt, tall running forward Blake Howes (#39) and father-son prospect Taj Woewodin (#65) who finished off the season impressively in the WA Colts, for his State and at the Draft Combine. For good measure, the club added two rookies, WA junior state representative Judd McVee (Category A) who the club has been eyeing since an outstanding national championships two years ago in the pre Covid era and exciting NGA from NT, Andy Moniz-Wakefield (Category B).
The club traded a couple of late draft selections for future picks which could come in very handy next year as some opposition will need them in the drafting process to secure father-son selections.
The reigning premiers will head into 2022 defending their new found prized status as league front runners with the following lists.
PRIMARY LIST: —
Oskar Baker Toby Bedford Jake Bowey Angus Brayshaw Ben Brown Luke Dunstan Bayley Fritsch Max Gawn James Harmes Michael Hibberd Blake Howes Jayden Hunt Luke Jackson James Jordon Ed Langdon Bailey Laurie Jake Lever Tom McDonald Steven May Jake Melksham Alex Neal-Bullen Clayton Oliver Christian Petracca Harrison Petty Kysaiah Kropinyeri Pickett Trent Rivers Fraser Rosman Christian Salem Charlie Spargo Joel Smith Tom Sparrow Adam Tomlinson Jacob Van Rooyen Jack Viney Sam Weideman Taj Woewodin
ROOKIE LIST: CATEGORY A
Mitch Brown Kade Chandler Majak Daw Judd McVee Deakyn Smith Daniel Turner
ROOKIE LIST: CATEGORY B
Andy Moniz-Wakefield