Demonland

20/20 Hindsight? ORIGINAL 2008 AFL DRAFT 1.Jack Watts (has played 174 games across two clubs) 2.Nic Naitanui (has played 167 games for West Coast) 3.Stephen Hill (has played 206 games for Fremantle) 4.Hamish Hartlett (has played 164 games for Port Adelaide) 5.Michael Hurley (has played 179 games for Essendon) 6.Chris Yarran (played 119 games for Carlton) 7.Daniel Rich (has played 207 games for Brisbane) 8.Ty Vickery (played 125 games across two clubs) 9.Jack Ziebell (has played 210 games for North Melbourne) 10.Phil Davis (has played 166 games across two clubs) THE 2008 AFL RE-DRAFT 1. STEELE SIDEBOTTOM (WAS Pick No.11 for Collingwood) There’s been no greater underage performance than Steele Sidebottom’s 10-goal haul in the 2008 TAC Cup Grand Final. It certainly helped the mid-forward push his case to be selected inside the first round by the Magpies. For so many years, Sidebottom has been a crucial member of the Collingwood side where he has played 235 games. He was part of the club’s premiership winning team in 2010, going onto win back-to-back best and fairests in 2017 and 2018. Remarkably, Sidebottom has only made the All-Australian side once, averaging 29.4 disposals in 2018, the same year he finished runner-up in the Brownlow Medal. 2. DAN HANNEBERY (WAS Pick No.30 for Sydney) While injuries have cruelled the latter stages of Hannebery’s career, it was a defining period between 2011 and 2016 where the midfielder made his stamp on the competition. The big-bodied onballer bashed his way around the centre of the ground, making three All-Australian teams in the process. He was part of the club’s 2012 premiership win, having earlier won the Rising Star Award in 2010. At the conclusion of 2018, Hannebery was traded from the Swans to the Saints, with a number of niggles keeping the 29-year-old to just six games with his new club. 3. RORY SLOANE (WAS Pick No.44 for Adelaide) The Crows have certainly got plenty of service out of the classy midfielder, with Sloane playing his 200th game in Round 1 of the 2020 season. Sloane’s presence in the middle of the ground is clear, averaging over 5.5 tackles per game across the season from 2015-2020. Sloane made the All-Australian side in 2016, averaging 25.2 disposals during the year. In 2019, Sloane was appointed co-captain of the club, before taking over full-time this year. 4. NIC NAITANUI (WAS Pick No.2 for West Coast) Hindsight is a wonderful thing, with Melbourne overlooking the athletic tall for Jack Watts with the No.1 pick back in 2008. Naitanui is one of the best rucks in the game and might’ve been at the very top of the list if not for injuries in recent years. A ruptured ACL kept Naitanui out of the club’s 2018 Grand Final victory, which came after he had missed the entire 2017 season. The previous two seasons to that, Naitanui made his mark on the competition as one of the best rucks. The Fijian was named in the 2012 All-Australian side. 5. LUKE BREUST (WAS Pick No.47 in the rookie draft for Hawthorn) A steal from the rookie draft, Breust has become one of the great success stories out of New South Wales. The three-time premiership player was a crucial figure in the Hawthorn team during their golden era, with the forward hardly missing in front of goal. At his peak in 2014, he had a streak of 29 goals without a behind, indicating just how vital he was for the club. He booted over 50 goals in 2014, 2015 and 2018, with the latter being his latest All-Australian recognition. In his 208-game stint at the Hawks, Breust has booted 395 goals. 6. LUKE SHUEY (WAS Pick No.18 for West Coast) Shuey has made his mark as one of the toughest midfielders in the west, with the onballer playing 201 games for the Eagles since being drafted in 2008. A number of injuries kept the big-bodied Shuey sidelined during the early stages of his career, with the Eagle finishing runner-up in the Rising Star award in 2011. He was part of the club’s 2018 premiership, dominating on Grand Final day, collecting 34 disposals. He was the easy choice as the Norm Smith Medallist, with West Coast making Shuey the clubs captain for 2020. 7. PHIL DAVIS (WAS Pick No.10 for Adelaide) Davis has made his mark as one of the most reliable defenders across the entire AFL competition. In 2011, the back become the first player to announce he would move to Greater Western Sydney. As a leader of the club, Davis has led from the front with a number of exceptional performances blanketing the best forwards across the competition. Over the last four years, Davis has hardly missed a game, but a calf injury nearly kept him out of the 2019 Grand Final. 8. MICHAEL HURLEY (WAS Pick No.5 for Essendon) Hurley has become one of the most crucial players in the Essendon side, with the tall playing 179 games for the club. Originally it was his ability up forward which caught the eye, but the 193cm Bomber has made the key defensive post his own over the last five years. Hurley was part of the 34 Essendon players suspended for the 2016 season, but he bounced back to be part of the All-Australian side in 2017. 9. MICHAEL WALTERS (WAS Pick No.53 for Fremantle) It has been only in recent years when Walters has really taken the competition by storm, improving his running ability and pushing up into the midfield. The Dockers have certainly got a steal from the Pick 53, with Walters winning the leading goalkicker award on five occasions. It was 2019 when Walters starred, winning All-Australian honours averaging 21.8 disposals. 10. DAYNE BEAMS (WAS Pick No.29 for Collingwood) Beams had immediate success at the Magpies, playing a part in the club’s 2010 premiership. It was 2012 when he had a breakout season, averaging over 30 disposals per match, winning the Collingwood best and fairest, as well as making the All-Australian side. However, a few years later he was traded to Brisbane in order to be closer with his ill father. It resulted in Beams winning the Lions’ best and fairest in 2015, with the midfielder captaining the club in 2017 and 2018. He has since return to Collingwood, but played just nine games last year with Beams focusing largely on his mental health and wellbeing.

No need to soil yourself.

Thanks @Lever08

In all the confusion around the sudden interruption of the season, it appears that we overlooked the voting for Round 1 of the Demonland Player of the Year. Never fear. Since none of us was there in person and the only way we could witness the game was per medium of television, we can kick it off tomorrow because the Fox Footy Channel is replaying the game from 5.00pm to 7.00pm. If you have the constitution to watch it over again, we would appreciate your votes on a 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1 basis.

Article says he will play against Carlton but I won't be surprised if he misses given what we also read in the article.

I'm sure it will be up soon.

? LEVER08's Match Sim Report MELBOURNE defender Jake Lever didn't play in the club's final match simulation at Casey Fields on Saturday ahead of next week's clash with Carlton but will face the Blues. Lever emerged from the shutdown period as one of the Demons' fittest players but they opted to manage his loads and he instead trained on an adjacent oval with injured teammate Aaron Nietschke. The 24-year-old intercept specialist dominated Melbourne's 1km time trials when everyone returned to training in May and he looks primed to deliver on the Dees' big investment in him. Lever and another key defensive recruit from recent years, Steven May, played together only four times last season because of respective injuries. May was a strong performer in the four quarters of game practice, including taking a series of intercept marks, firstly playing in the royal blue side before swapping to the navy blue team. Most of the Demons' first-choice players started in navy blue, except for defenders such as May, Neville Jetta, James Harmes and Christian Salem – but they all switched during the half-time break. The player to watch could be athletic backman Joel Smith, who's always been a source of intrigue for the Melbourne coaching staff despite injuries restricting him to only 11 matches. The Demons think so highly of Smith they promoted him for their 2018 preliminary final at Bayley Fritsch's expense but he missed all of last season with a groin problem. The son of ex-Demon Shaun played in the same defensive set-up with May, Jetta, Harmes and Salem throughout the solid hitout. Melbourne looks to have a mostly healthy list, with Aaron vandenBerg (foot) – who also last played in that 2018 preliminary final – among those to play. Salem (glandular fever) and ex-skipper Nathan Jones (Achilles) are the likeliest additions to Melbourne's team for the contest with Carlton at Marvel Stadium next Saturday. Harley Bennell (calf) also looks in good nick and has given his new club something to think about with his track efforts in recent weeks. Bennell joined young midfielders Tom Sparrow and James Jordon as the royal blue side's most common centre-bounce combination, with either Sam Weideman or Category B rookie Austin Bradtke rucking. The former Docker and Sun also spent time up forward after switching into navy blue in the second half. Weideman has fallen out of favour for the time being but worked hard and presented well. He could yet be in calculations, given Mitch Brown, who played in round one, spent all of simulation in royal blue, while No.3 draft pick Luke Jackson and Weideman swapped teams at half-time. Back-up big man Braydon Preuss, who's been sidelined with a knee injury, did not play. The Demons rotated the likes of Clayton Oliver, Christian Petracca, Angus Brayshaw and Jack Viney through the middle in the navy blue squad, with All-Australian ruckman Max Gawn. Recruits Ed Langdon and Adam Tomlinson won plenty of possession on opposite wings, while Fritsch, Tom McDonald and Kysaiah 'Kozzy' Pickett were all lively in attack. Small forwards Alex Neal-Bullen, Toby Bedford and Charlie Spargo appear to be locked in a battle for potentially one spot after all played in the season-opening loss to West Coast. The trio played for the royal blue team for the match's duration.

Footy at the Drive Ins?