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The progressive voting after Round 1 17. Tyla Hanks 15. Olivia Purcell 13. Shelley Heath 6. Maeve Chaplin 5. Elizabeth McNamara 4. Kate Hore 2. Maggie Mahony 1. Alyssa Bannan

“Overture, curtains, lights This is it, the night of nights No more rehearsing and nursing a part We know every part by heart “Overture, curtains, lights This is it, you'll hit the heights And oh what heights we’ll hit On with the show this is it” Yes folks. This is it - the culmination of the season. The final act. Way back in March we contemplated the possibility of a Demon resurgence after Simon Goodwin’s summer of love. Many issues at the club had seemingly been addressed, key players were returning from injury and a brand new day was about to dawn. We imagined the coach pulling a rabbit out of a hat. The team would roar up the charts, push aside every opponent and make its way to a Grand Final ending in ultimate triumph with Goody and Max holding the premiership cup aloft under a shower of red and blue ticker tape. Now, all we have is Friday night, our Grand Final against an old enemy. Two teams that are on the ropes, but only one has the ability to get off the canvas and live to fight another day. And that’s the crux of the issue. Since they lost the opening game of the season to the Giants in a cliffhanger finish that could have gone either way, the Demons have lacked direction and purpose. The season was always going to end in a not so grand final, destined for one final failure. And who else but the Magpies, rising from the floor like a bloodied Rocky Balboa to deliver the final blow? Those familiar with my work would be aware that I am typically an optimist, but this week, a struggling Melbourne has nothing to play for - not even pride, a measure that fell by the wayside after Hawthorn comfortably demolished it last week with hardly a whimper in response except for a final-minute yelp. On the other hand, Collingwood might well be stuttering its way into the finals with five losses and a solitary unconvincing victory over wooden spooners Richmond in its past six outings, but don’t be fooled. They still have an outside chance of securing an unlikely top-two finish and must win to maintain the double chance, so they will be fighting vigorously to not only win but also to do so by the largest margin possible. Their problem last week was one familiar to Demon fans: a lack of forward connection. The narrow three-point loss against Adelaide came after generating 71 inside 50s to the Crows’ 37! The problem is that Melbourne’s once much vaunted defence is no longer what it used to be in the absence of Jake Lever and with the slowing down of Steven May who has been hampered by injuries this season. With the Daicos brothers usually unstoppable in situations such as the one facing them on Saturday night, that Demon defence will be under pressure from the very start with only the expected ruck domination to be garnered by their captain Max Gawn standing in the way. Melbourne has been Collingwood’s bunny in recent seasons with four consecutive losses. Yes, they did come within one point of the Magpies on Kings Birthday and, in hindsight, the outcome could have cost the Pies a top four and possibly finals finish but that sort of opportunity doesn’t come all that often and the team blew it. Back then, the Demons were on the MCG stage, Simon Goodwin was coaching them to be positive and attacking and their flickering dream of a late season revival was still alive. The curtain has rapidly fallen on that scene. Collingwood by 38 points. THE GAME Collingwood v Melbourne at the MCG Friday 22 August 2025 at 7.10pm HEAD TO HEAD Overall Collingwood 157 wins Melbourne 85 wins 5 drawn At the MCG Collingwood 89 wins Melbourne 64 wins 3 drawn Last five meetings Collingwood 4 wins Melbourne 1 win The Coaches McCrae 0 wins Chaplin 0 wins LAST TIME THEY MET Collingwood 11.6.72 defeated Melbourne 10.11.71 at the MCG in Round 13 2025 Max Gawn was outstanding in the ruck and Bayley Fritsch and Kysaiah Pickett kicked three goals each in a close encounter won by the more accurate Magpies who fell across the line by the narrowest of margins. THE TEAMS COLLINGWOOD B B. Maynard, D. Moore, J. Howe HB H. Perryman, J. Daicos, I. Quaynor C S. Sidebottom, J. Crisp, R. Steele HF J. De Goey, T. Membrey, L. Schultz F J. Elliott, D. McStay, B. McCreery FOLL D. Cameron, N. Long, N. Daicos I/C B. Frampton, D. Houston, P. Lipinski, B. Mihocek, S. Pendlebury EMG W. Parker, E. Allan, M. Cox IN J. Howe, R. Steele OUT E. Allan (omitted), W. Parker (omitted) MELBOURNE B D. Turner, S. May, C. Salem HB J. McVee, T. McDonald, J. Bowey C E. Langdon, C. Petracca, H. Langford HF J. Culley, B. Fritsch, K. Chandler F K. Pickett, J. Van Rooyen, T. Sparrow FOLL M. Gawn, C. Oliver, J. Viney I/C B. Howes, J. Melksham, H. Petty, T. Rivers, H. Sharp EMG B. Laurie, T. Campbell, A. Johnson NO CHANGE Injury List: Round 24 Oliver Sestan — face / available Jack Henderson — groin / TBC Matt Jefferson — toe / TBC Marty Hore — knee, shoulder / season Jake Lever — ankle/ season Xavier Lindsay — hamstring / season Shane McAdam — Achilles / season Andy Moniz-Wakefield — knee / season Caleb Windsor — hamstring / season

Officially Official

McClure has spoken so that means we won’t get Bucks and Oliver stays and Trac goes.

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If Buckley doesn’t have the awareness or insight to recognise where the club truly stands, both on and off the field, and we feel compelled to shield him from that reality just so he isn’t scared off, then maybe he’s not the right candidate for the job. The same applies to anyone else. Our challenges are out in the open for all to see. Any prospective coach should understand exactly where we are, come prepared with a plan to fix the on-field issues, and be capable of navigating the off-field ones as well.

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The game was close all day and the prize went to the more accurate Magpies in the end. Max Gawn was strong in the ruck and the game could have gone either way but it was not to be for the Demons. MELBOURNE 2.2.14 4.6.30 7.8.50 10.11.71 COLLINGWOOD 2.2.14 6.2.38 9.3.57 11.6.72 GOALS MELBOURNE Fritsch Pickett 3 Melksham Petty Sparrow Tholstrup COLLINGWOOD McStay 2 N Daicos Elliott Hayes Hill Long McCreery Membrey Mihocek Sidebottom BEST MELBOURNE Gawn Oliver Pickett May Petracca Rivers COLLINGWOOD J Daicos Howe Sidebottom Pendlebury N Daicos Quaynor THE TEAMS MELBOURNE B J. Bowey, S. May, C. Salem HB J. McVee, J. Lever, T. Rivers C K. Chandler, C. Petracca, X. Lindsay HF E. Langdon, J. van Rooyen, B. Fritsch F J. Melksham, H. Petty, K. Pickett FOLL M. Gawn, C. Oliver, T. Sparrow I/C B. Howes, H. Langford, K. Tholstrup, D. Turner, C. Windsor EMG J. Culley, M. Jefferson, H. Sharp IN B. Howes, K. Tholstrup, J. van Rooyen OUT A. Johnson (suspended), B. Laurie (omitted), H. Sharp (omitted) COLLINGWOOD B J. Howe, B. Frampton, J. Daicos HB H. Perryman, D. Moore, I. Quaynor C J. Crisp, S. Sidebottom, E. Allan HF B. Hill, D. McStay, B. McCreery F J. Elliott, B. Mihocek, T. Membrey FOLL D. Cameron, N. Long, N. Daicos I/C W. Hayes, W. Hoskin-Elliott, D. Houston, S. Pendlebury, L. Sullivan EMG T. Mitchell, W. Parker, O. Steene IN W. Hayes, D. McStay OUT P. Lipinski (concussion), L. Schultz (hamstring)

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We’re back! That was fun. The Mighty Dees’ Season 10 campaign is off toa flying start with a commanding 48-point win over the Western Bulldogs, retaining the Hampson-Hardeman Cup in style. After a hard-fought first half in slippery conditions, the Dees came out in the second half and showcased their trademark superior class, piling on four goals in the third term and never looked back. Dominating for the Dees all night were BOG Tyla Hanks (29 disposals, 2 goals) and Liv Purcell (34 possessions, 7 clearances, 1 goal). Wow, they were both so clean and strong —inside and outside — driving the Dees forward relentlessly. Hanksy’s second goal to ice the match was a sublime solo effort from a stoppage, a demonstration once again of her footballing awesomeness. The match There was a pre-match Hampson-Hardeman Cup tribute with a cavalcade of pioneers introduced to the crowd, accompanied by a night sky filled with pyrotechnics and musical entertainers. The opening quarter was a tense arm-wrestle, with both sides struggling to find clean ball movement. Shelley Heath, (career-high 23 disposals), broke the deadlock with a composed set shot, and from there Melbourne’s midfield took control. Kate Hore (17 disposals, 2 goals) started deep in attack before moving into the midfield to spark Melbourne’s surge. Eden Zanker (2 goals) and Alyssa Bannan (1 goal) provided strong targets, while Maeve Chaplin (14 disposals, 8 intercepts) was pivotal in turning defence into attack. Maevo’s ability to steam through traffic and know when to leave her opponent is first class. The Bulldogs, celebrating their Pioneer Party, struggled to convert effort into scoreboard pressure. Heidi Woodley kicked their only goal, while Jasmyn Smith (11 first-quarter disposals) and Elaine Grigg (8 tackles) worked hard in vain. New kids on the block All our newbies showed they belong in this AFLW competition and coach Mick Stinear must have loved it! It was exciting to see the run, dare and physicality of Molly O’Hehir, the competitive and ‘nearly’ moments from pressure forward Maggie Mahony (replete with her noisy throng of supporters) and the composure of skillful defender, Laela Ebert. Fantastic first game, all of you. Match moment Midway through the second quarter in front of the members stand, Tayla Harris soared for a fearless trademark contested mark, reminding fans of her aerial prowess. Sadly, she was ruled out at halftime and sent to hospital after a freak eye injury. Fingers crossed Tay will be alright—she really unsettles the opposition with her courage and dynamism. Meggs’ musings Melbourne’s midfield depth is scary good. With Purcell, Hanks, Heath, McNamara and Paxy running riot, Hore able to swing between roles, and Chaplin stepping up in defence, the Dees look like early flag contenders. Blaithin Mackin was a welcome return too. Tayla Harris’s brief cameo showcased her presence up forward and she opens up space for Zanker and Bannan. The second-half dominance was built on pressure and clean ball use. The Dees’ ability to transition from defence to attack was a highlight, and our tackling intensity never dropped. With St Kilda next, the challenge will be to maintain this standard. Coaches and next week Melbourne Coach Mick Stinear praised his team’s composure and adaptability, especially after Harris’s injury. He highlighted the midfield’s balance and Chaplin’s leadership in defence. “We knew it would be a physical contest early,” said Stinear. “But our composure and connection after halftime was first-class.” Bulldogs coach Tamara Hyett acknowledged Melbourne’s class and lamented her side’s inability to sustain pressure. She was proud of the team’s effort and the Pioneer Party celebrations but knows there’s work to do. Next week the Demons play St Kilda at Casey Fields on Saturday at 3:05pm. Bring on the Saints. Let’s keep doing it Dees! WESTERN BULLDOGS 0.2 1.4 1.4 1.8 (14) MELBOURNE 1.3 3.4 7.7 9.8 (62) GOALS Western Bulldogs Woodley Melbourne Hore 2, Zanker 2, Hanks 2, Heath, Bannan, Purcell BEST Western Bulldogs Edmonds, Smith, Grigg, Fitzgerald Melbourne Hanks, Heath, Hore, Purcell, Chaplin INJURIES Western Bulldogs Nil Melbourne:Harris (eye) CROWD 3,278 at Mission Whitten Oval

The Casey Demons ended the regular season on a positive note and gained substantial momentum leading into the finals when they knocked the Box Hill Hawks off the top of the VFL ladder in their final round clash at Casey Fields. More importantly, they moved out of a wild card position in the finals race and secured a week's rest as they leapfrogged up the ladder into fifth place with their decisive 23-point victory over the team that had been the dominant force in the competition for most of the season. The Demons spent a significant portion of the season outside of finals contention, and after eight rounds, were in 17th position. They regrouped with some good victories but then suffered a couple of mid-season setbacks due to the same rash of inaccurate shooting for goal that was affecting the AFL side. They lost a winnable game on the Gold Coast and suddenly found themselves back in 13th place after their last-minute single-point loss to Coburg in Round 15. Then came the resurgence. A massive win over former powerhouse Werribee saw them jump into tenth place, and as other contenders fell by the wayside, they consolidated and held onto eighth spot with one game to go. The final round was Bradburyesque as, one by one, the teams above fell. Collingwood dropped their game to lowly Port Melbourne, the Brisbane Lions could only eke out a draw after Frankston goalled on the siren and a desperate Williamstown earned a wild card final when they beat Richmond. The Casey win was icing on the cake — voila, the Demons were in fifth position! It was a hard earned victory. After a frenetic Casey start that saw livewire Ricky Mentha Junior in everything with five early touches and a goal, Box Hill took charge to lead by 17 points at the first break. The momentum swung in the home team’s favour but it was let down by its usual problems in front of goal. The Hawks’ Ned Reeves was shading Tom Campbell and Will Verrall in the ruck but Casey’s Jack Billings, Riley Bonner, Charlie Spargo and Bailey Laurie were winning most of the ground balls. Billings had a massive 26 disposals by half time, at which stage the visitors held a seven point lead. From there on, it was all Casey with Campbell getting on top of Reeves as the Demon on ballers made all of the running. The defence led by Tom Fullarton and Jed Adams, supported by veteran Tom Freeman and the athletic Wardell Lual was impassable. The forwards shared the goals - at one stage they had ten goals all kicked by different players. Young forward Luker Kentfield only managed six touches but kicked a game-high three goals. The Demons went into the final term with a lead of 19 points which soon moved out beyond the four goal mark and in the end, they defended the lead well without taking too many risks to finish 23 points in front at the final siren. Veteran players Billings (40 disposals, seven marks, six tackles, five clearances, one goal) and Bonner (38 possessions, 7 inside 50s and a goal) were outstanding all day and finished with leather poisoning while Koltyn Tholstrup, Laurie, Kynan Brown, Spargo and Taj Woewodin were all busy on the day. Melbourne’s NGA Draft prospect Toby SInnema had his first run at this level and was impressive in the second half to finish with 15 touches. And so, after 21 rounds including three byes, the Demons have earned yet another week off work as they prepare for their elimination final in a fortnight’s time. CASEY DEMONS 1.2.8 5.7.37 10.14.74 12.16.88 BOX HILL HAWKS 4.1.25 7.2.44 8.5.53 9.11.65 GOALS CASEY DEMONS Kentfield 3 Billings Bonner Cross Jefferson Johnson Laurie Mentha SInnema Spargo BOX HILL HAWKS Scaife 3 Bianco Butler Farrer McCabe Ramsden Stanley BEST CASEY DEMONS Billings Bonner Laurie Woewodin Fullarton Spargo BOX HILL HAWKS Butler Reeves Serong Mitchell Hustwaite Horner

LEAPFROG by KC from Casey The Casey Demons ended the regular season on a positive note and gained substantial momentum leading into the finals when they knocked the Box Hill Hawks off the top of the VFL ladder in their final round clash at Casey Fields. More importantly, they moved out of a wild card position in the finals race and secured a week's rest as they leapfrogged up the ladder into fifth place with their decisive 23-point victory over the team that had been the dominant force in the competition for most of the season. The Demons spent a significant portion of the season outside of finals contention, and after eight rounds, were in 17th position. They regrouped with some good victories but then suffered a couple of mid-season setbacks due to the same rash of inaccurate shooting for goal that was affecting the AFL side. They lost a winnable game on the Gold Coast and suddenly found themselves back in 13th place after their last-minute single-point loss to Coburg in Round 15. Then came the resurgence. A massive win over former powerhouse Werribee saw them jump into tenth place, and as other contenders fell by the wayside, they consolidated and held onto eighth spot with one game to go. The final round was Bradburyesque as, one by one, the teams above fell. Collingwood dropped their game to lowly Port Melbourne, the Brisbane Lions could only eke out a draw after Frankston goalled on the siren and a desperate Williamstown earned a wild card final when they beat Richmond. The Casey win was icing on the cake — voila, the Demons were in fifth position! It was a hard earned victory. After a frenetic Casey start that saw livewire Ricky Mentha Junior in everything with five early touches and a goal, Box Hill took charge to lead by 17 points at the first break. The momentum swung in the home team’s favour but it was let down by its usual problems in front of goal. The Hawks’ Ned Reeves was shading Tom Campbell and Will Verrall in the ruck but Casey’s Jack Billings, Riley Bonner, Charlie Spargo and Bailey Laurie were winning most of the ground balls. Billings had a massive 26 disposals by half time, at which stage the visitors held a seven point lead. From there on, it was all Casey with Campbell getting on top of Reeves as the Demon on ballers made all of the running. The defence led by Tom Fullarton and Jed Adams, supported by veteran Tom Freeman and the athletic Wardell Lual was impassable. The forwards shared the goals - at one stage they had ten goals all kicked by different players. Young forward Luker Kentfield only managed six touches but kicked a game-high three goals. The Demons went into the final term with a lead of 19 points which soon moved out beyond the four goal mark and in the end, they defended the lead well without taking too many risks to finish 23 points in front at the final siren. Veteran players Billings (40 disposals, seven marks, six tackles, five clearances, one goal) and Bonner (38 possessions, 7 inside 50s and a goal) were outstanding all day and finished with leather poisoning while Koltyn Tholstrup, Laurie, Kynan Brown, Spargo and Taj Woewodin were all busy on the day. Melbourne’s NGA Draft prospect Toby SInnema had his first run at this level and was impressive in the second half to finish with 15 touches. And so, after 21 rounds including three byes, the Demons have earned yet another week off work as they prepare for their elimination final in a fortnight’s time. CASEY DEMONS 1.2.8 5.7.37 10.14.74 12.16.88 BOX HILL HAWKS 4.1.25 7.2.44 8.5.53 9.11.65 GOALS CASEY DEMONS Kentfield 3 Billings Bonner Cross Jefferson Johnson Laurie Mentha SInnema Spargo BOX HILL HAWKS Scaife 3 Bianco Butler Farrer McCabe Ramsden Stanley BEST CASEY DEMONS Billings Bonner Laurie Woewodin Fullarton Spargo BOX HILL HAWKS Butler Reeves Serong Mitchell Hustwaite Horner

The final score in Saturday's game against Hawthorn was almost identical to that from their last contest three months ago. Melbourne suffered comprehensive defeats in both games, but the similarities ended there. When they met in Round 9, the Demons were resurgent, seeking to redeem themselves after a lacklustre start to the season. They approached the game with vigour and dynamism, and were highly competitive for the first three quarters, during which they were at least on par with the Hawks. In the final term, they lapsed into error and were ultimately overrun, but the final result did not accurately reflect their effort and commitment throughout the match. SCOREBOARD May 10 2025 They were on the comeback trail and it was a precursor to their best performances of the season. In the weeks to come they prevailed over both of last year’s grand finalists and not long after, came ever so close to besting the league leaders Collingwood on the big stage at the MCG on Kings Birthday. Yesterday, they went into the game after a reasonable run of form in close contests on what has been a disappointing and bumpy road to season's end that saw the dethroning of their premiership coach. The players, young and old, should have been keen to impress the potential contenders (if indeed, there is more than one) for the coaching vacancy, and, absent that, to avenge the earlier defeat or at least play for the pride of the jumper. They failed on all scores, were sad and lacklustre from the opening bounce, were smashed at the stoppages and played without any urgency or energy until the very end of the game, when the Hawks had already packed up their tent with their thoughts on things to come. The result flattered the Demons. SCOREBOARD August 16 2025 The game opened badly for the Demons, who once again fell victim to AFL score review after only 45 seconds when Dylan Moore’s snap over his shoulder was paid a goal. The replay appeared to show that Trent Rivers’ finger was bent back in touching the ball, and Moore even signalled to teammates to set up for a kick-in. The verdict went against Melbourne again, and things only went from bad to worse after that. We anticipate another apology from the AFL early next week. The game marked a reversion to Melbourne's established habits and issues with forward connection, with only eight goals from 56 entries inside-50, in contrast to Hawthorn's 13 goals from 49 at nearly double the conversion rate. Over the weeks since the midseason bye, the club had averaged 92 points per game. That figure crashed to 56 and remember, the Demons' tally was boosted by three straight junk-time goals in the final three or four minutes of play. Hawk veteran Jack Gunston toyed with their veteran 250-game player Steven May before Blake Howes was put on him with barely any effect. The usual Kudos must again go to skipper Max Gawn for valiantly holding things together. His more experienced lieutenants, namely Clayton Oliver, Christian Petracca, Christian Salem and Jack Viney stood up well but they were some way from their very best and that is where the alarm bells should start ringing. I mentioned earlier that the team was monstered at the stoppages, yet the inclusion of those names in the best players sends a clear message to the incoming coach. It’s understandable that younger players tend to lose focus and energy towards the end of a long campaign but when your more experienced players are among your best and yet are struggling in their areas of expertise, then significant changes should be expected at this level when the team comes under new management. There are no comebacks from this. MELBOURNE 1.0.6 2.3.15 4.3.27 8.8.56 HAWTHORN 5.3.33 7.7.49 10.10.70 13.14.92 GOALS MELBOURNE Petty van Rooyen 2 Chandler Langford Oliver Pickett HAWTHORN Gunston 7 Moore 2 Breust Dear Macdonald Watson BEST MELBOURNE Gawn Oliver Petracca Viney Salem Petty HAWTHORN Gunston Moore Macdonald Impey Newcombe Amon Sicily INJURIES MELBOURNE Nil HAWTHORN Nil REPORTS MELBOURNE Nil HAWTHORN Nil SUBSTITUTIONS MELBOURNE Jake Melksham (replaced Tom McDonald at half-time) HAWTHORN Luke Breust (replaced Nick Watson in the third quarter) UMPIRES Nathan Toner Brent Wallace Martin Rodger Nicholas McGinness CROWD 53,871 at The MCG

The Nibbler Effect

The final game of the 2025 Season is finally upon us and the Demons may have an opportunity to spoil the Magpies Top 4 aspirations when they face them on Friday Night. Who comes in and who goes out?

Max Gawn cannot lose the 2025 Demonland Player of the Year award. He leads from Kozzy Pickett, Christian Petracca, Jake Bowey and Clayton Oliver. Your votes please. 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 & 1.

The Demons were sloppy all day and could not stop the run and carry of the fast moving Hawthorn as the Hawks cruised to an easy 36 point win. Is the season over yet?

Kozzy does not want the footy.

The Demonland Podcast will air LIVE on Monday, 18th August @ 8:00pm. Join Binman & I as we dissect the Dees disappointing loss to the Hawthorn. Your questions and comments are a huge part of our podcast so please post anything you want to ask or say below and we'll give you a shout out on the show. Listen LIVE: https://demonland.com/

May as well open The Trade, Draft & Free Agency Board. https://demonland.com/forums/forum/38-trade-draft-free-agency/