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“It was disappointing for him obviously, because he had a really good pre-season and had a few training sessions where he was playing in multiple positions and racked up a lot of possessions in some drills. Obviously he had the knee operation so it was disappointing he didn’t get to play any footy, but the amount of info you learn about yourself while going through rehab is incredible. From resilience, to training on your own, to mental toughness, to learning how to build relationships off field – that was huge for him. He went to a lot of games, coded a lot of footy – learnt how to break down a game. He can play multiple positions so when he is back and is available, I think he’ll be on track for a really good season.” - Matt Egan MFC Head of Player Development An update on the first-year Demons Date of Birth: 26 May, 2000 Height: 184 cm Weight: 82 kg Games MFC 2019: 0 Career Total: 0 Goals MFC 2019: 0 Career Total: 0

Weideman was expected to stand up in a key forward position after a solid finals series in 2018 but he had limited opportunities due to form lapses and injury. We saw little of him in the back half of the season. Date of Birth: 26 June, 1997 Height: 195 cm Weight: 97 kg Games MFC 2019: 11 Career Total: 31 Goals MFC 2019: 11 Career Total: 27 CDFC Games 2019: 3 CDFC Goals 2019: 5 Votes 2019 Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Memorial Trophy: 65 votes

PART 2 - REBOUND The Melbourne Football Club’s free agency and trade period was generally seen as favorable. The club gained the services of the two main players it targeted, traded out one of its key defenders and exchanged draft selections so that, at this point in time, it holds two picks in the top ten in next month’s national draft. The players introduced into the club were selected specifically to fit some of weaknesses identified in its season from hell. Adam Tomlinson, taken as an unrestricted free agent from Greater Western Sydney, is a player who has shown great resilience in his career with the Giants and can play as an outside midfielder, a key position and a back up ruck. The club has designated him for a wing position. Another good fit for the Demons is Fremantle’s Ed Langdon, who is also looked upon as a player who will go a long way to providing some outside run in rebalancing the club’s midfield. He is also expected to line up on a wing. With the Demons currently holding national draft picks 3 and 8, they are primed to fill other needs identified during the year particularly a small crumbing forward and a tall marking key position player who can kick goals. There is another aspect of change at the club and that is in the area of the key personnel off the field who will be tasked with assisting Simon Goodwin in restoring the magic which took his team to a preliminary final in 2018. The way to achieving the rebound is to return the team to its confident mindset in the areas where it was so strong - pressure at the contest and ball use - and, in order to achieve that aim, the list needs to be brought back to full health and strength. In that respect, the club is seeing changes taking place in the coaching department and on the health and conditioning side with the appointments of former St Kilda coach Alan Richardson in a senior support role to Simon Goodwin and Dean Burgess as the new performance manager. The pair spent time together at Port Adelaide and are expected to play a major role in the club’s 2020 resurgence. So whilst all of the above are expected to go a fair way to providing the necessary springboard to see the club recover from last year’s disappointing fall from grace, there is still some work to be done to cover the weaknesses uncovered this season. Some of this will unfold over the next five to six weeks that could see further activity in the trading of draft picks, a consideration of delisted free agents and the national, pre season and rookie drafts. There are currently three vacancies on the primary list while two players - Jay Kennedy Harris and Billy Stretch remain uncontracted. PRIMARY LIST: Oskar Baker Toby Bedford Angus Brayshaw Bayley Fritsch Max Gawn Mitch Hannan James Harmes Michael Hibberd Marty Hore Jayden Hunt Neville Jetta Nathan Jones James Jordan Jay Kennedy Harris Kade Kolodjiashnij Ed Langdon Jake Lever Oscar McDonald Tom McDonald Steven May Jake Melksham Alex Neal-Bullen Aaron Nietschke Clayton Oliver Christian Petracca Harrison Petty Braydon Preuss Christian Salem Charlie Spargo Joel Smith Tom Sparrow Billy Stretch Adam Tomlinson Aaron vandenBerg Jack Viney Josh Wagner Sam Weideman ROOKIE LIST: CATEGORY A Kade Chandler Kyle Dunkley Jay Lockhart Corey Wagner ROOKIE LIST: CATEGORY B Austin Bradtke

PART 2 - REBOUND The Melbourne Football Club’s free agency and trade period was generally seen as favorable. The club gained the services of the two main players it targeted, traded out one of its key defenders and exchanged draft selections so that, at this point in time, it holds two picks in the top ten in next month’s national draft. The players introduced into the club were selected specifically to fit some of weaknesses identified in its season from hell. Adam Tomlinson, taken as an unrestricted free agent from Greater Western Sydney, is a player who has shown great resilience in his career with the Giants and can play as an outside midfielder, a key position and a back up ruck. The club has designated him for a wing position. Another good fit for the Demons is Fremantle’s Ed Langdon, who is also looked upon as a player who will go a long way to providing some outside run in rebalancing the club’s midfield. He is also expected to line up on a wing. With the Demons currently holding national draft picks 3 and 8, they are primed to fill other needs identified during the year particularly a small crumbing forward and a tall marking key position player who can kick goals. There is another aspect of change at the club and that is in the area of the key personnel off the field who will be tasked with assisting Simon Goodwin in restoring the magic which took his team to a preliminary final in 2018. The way to achieving the rebound is to return the team to its confident mindset in the areas where it was so strong - pressure at the contest and ball use - and, in order to achieve that aim, the list needs to be brought back to full health and strength. In that respect, the club is seeing changes taking place in the coaching department and on the health and conditioning side with the appointments of former St Kilda coach Alan Richardson in a senior support role to Simon Goodwin and Dean Burgess as the new performance manager. The pair spent time together at Port Adelaide and are expected to play a major role in the club’s 2020 resurgence. So whilst all of the above are expected to go a fair way to providing the necessary springboard to see the club recover from last year’s disappointing fall from grace, there is still some work to be done to cover the weaknesses uncovered this season. Some of this will unfold over the next five to six weeks that could see further activity in the trading of draft picks, a consideration of delisted free agents and the national, pre season and rookie drafts. There are currently three vacancies on the primary list while two players - Jay Kennedy Harris and Billy Stretch remain uncontracted. PRIMARY LIST: Oskar Baker Toby Bedford Angus Brayshaw Bayley Fritsch Max Gawn Mitch Hannan James Harmes Michael Hibberd Marty Hore Jayden Hunt Neville Jetta Nathan Jones James Jordan Jay Kennedy Harris Kade Kolodjiashnij Ed Langdon Jake Lever Oscar McDonald Tom McDonald Steven May Jake Melksham Alex Neal-Bullen Aaron Nietschke Clayton Oliver Christian Petracca Harrison Petty Braydon Preuss Christian Salem Charlie Spargo Joel Smith Tom Sparrow Billy Stretch Adam Tomlinson Aaron vandenBerg Jack Viney Josh Wagner Sam Weideman ROOKIE LIST: CATEGORY A Kade Chandler Kyle Dunkley Jay Lockhart Corey Wagner ROOKIE LIST: CATEGORY B Austin Bradtke

After leading the club’s goal kicking last year with 53 goals, McDonald struggled with form for most of the season and only started kicking goals again after the bye round. Kicked 6 goals in less than three quarters against the Blues but a knee injury incurred in that match derailed his season. Date of Birth: 18 September, 1992 Height: 194 cm Weight: 99 kg Games MFC 2019: 15 Career Total: 161 Goals MFC 2019: 18 Career Total: 102 Votes 2019 Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Memorial Trophy: 151 votes

Clarkson is going to harness the Frostball.

I guess we need to bookend this affair. Frosty in the poos and wees.

In limbo: There are only two Dees out of contract, but both Jay Kennedy Harris and Billy Stretch (pictured) currently appear unlikely to be at the club next season. Melbourne targeted run throughout the trade period, with Adam Tomlinson and Ed Langdon joining. Delisted: Jeff Garlett, Declan Keilty Retired: Jordan Lewis, Corey Maynard, Tim Smith, Guy Walker

The small utility has been around the club for a while without establishing a place in the side. His days at the club would seem to be numbered. Date of Birth: 21 March, 1995 Height: 173 cm Weight: 75 kg Games MFC 2019: 5 Career Total: 39 Goals MFC 2019: 0 Career Total: 12 CDFC Games 2019: 8 CDFC Goals 2019: 7 Votes 2019 Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Memorial Trophy: 20 votes

“He ended up having a really consistent VFL year – he played 21 games. He started off down back but finished off the year as an inside-mid which is probably where he looked most natural. He’s got really good movement within stoppages, he’s really good over the ball and is a nice kick. He developed into a really consistent player in the VFL and he’s really durable. I think his training loads were really high during the year – he loves training – so he’s finished with a really good year and got a lot of learnings out of playing a lot of footy.” - Matt Egan MFC Head of Player Development An update on the first-year Demons Date of Birth: 20 December, 2000 Height: 186 cm Weight: 80 kg Games MFC 2019: 0 Career Total: 0 Goals MFC 2019: 0 Career Total: 0 CDFC Games 2019: 18 CDFC Goals 2019: 3

Demon fans were jubilant when he rejected an offer to play for the Swans last year. The bad news was that a foot injury kept him out of football for the entire season. Has averaged only 7 games a season in his five years at the club so is due for a change of luck. Date of Birth: 3 March, 1992 Height: 188 cm Weight: 93 kg Games MFC 2019: 0 Career Total: 35 Goals MFC 2019: 0 Career Total: 22

MELBOURNE IN: Adam Tomlinson, Ed Langdon, pick 8, 2020 second-round pick (Haw), 2020 fourth-round (Fre) OUT: Sam Frost, picks 22, 42, 61, 79, 2020 first-round, 2020 second-round, 2020 fourth-round DRAFT PICKS: 3, 8 BUCKENARA SAYS: Tomlinson adds versatility and Langdon much-needed pace and outside run, so they’ve slightly improved their list. The pressure will be on everyone at Melbourne to bounce back and have a good year next year because trading their 2020 first and second-round picks plus picks 26 and 50 this year to North Melbourne for pick 8 is a big risk. If they finish bottom four again or fail to make finals that first-round pick will be top 10. Ouch. This draft is strong for classy midfielders with pace, which is exactly what the Demons need so clearly they’ve got their eye on a couple of players in particular. Time will tell. RATING: 7/10

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I'll be joined by @Grapeviney & @george_on_the_outer tonight We'd love to hear from other Demonlanders to hear their thoughts on our trades and non-trades. Listen & Chat LIVE: https://demonland.com/podcast Call: 03 9016 3666 Skype: Demonland31