Demonland

BREAKOUT SEASON This was a real breakout season for Neal-Bullen who established himself as a part time midfielder and part time goalkicking forward and applied himself with consistency from week to week. Date of Birth: 9 January, 1996 Height: 182cm Weight: 82kg Games MFC 2018: 24 Career Total: 58 Goals MFC 2018: 27 Career Total: 50 Votes 2018 Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Memorial Trophy: 322 votes

SURPRISE PACKET Drafted after a few years developing under our noses at Casey, Fritsch was a real surprise packet who filled a number of roles but was surprisingly left out of the team for the preliminary final. Was Casey’s best in his only game - the losing Grand Final against the Box Hill Hawks. Date of Birth: 6 December, 1996 Height: 188cm Weight: 81kg Games MFC 2018: 23 Career Total: 23 Goals MFC 2018: 17 Career Total: 17 CDFC Games 2018: 1 CDFC Goals 2018: 0 Votes 2018 Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Memorial Trophy: 261 votes

DEBUGGED Tom Bugg had one or two good moments early in the season but fell out of favour with the selectors and spent most of the year at Casey. He was delisted after the VFL Demons Grand Final defeat. Date of Birth: 5 April, 1993 Height: 184cm Weight: 84kg Games MFC 2018: 3 Career Total: 96 Goals MFC 2018: 4 Career Total: 34 CDFC Games 2018: 18 CDFC Goals 2018: 15 Votes 2018 Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Memorial Trophy: 39 votes

I thought @Skuit was saying that someone like Gaff and Shiel don't want to share the limelight or load with our current midfield rather than Melbourne not wanting them because of our current midfield. It's a no brainer that we'd take either one. Pretty sure both are looking at a starring role not a best supporting gig.

I think he's making a new Hobbit movie.

PART 1 - UPHEAVAL AND CHANGE Every year, as soon as the grand final siren sounds, the 18 AFL clubs enter into a new season that lasts for two months and ends in the drafts. This is the time of transition and sometimes upheaval for the clubs as their lists change in the hope for each of them that they can regenerate their lists to the point where they can challenge for a premiership flag. The official proceedings start today with the opening of the restricted free agency offer and unrestricted free agency period starts and on Monday, the NAB AFL Trade Period kicks off. The coming off season of change is looming large at the Melbourne Football Club in comparison with last year when the club farewelled only six senior list players (including one, Heritier Lumumba, who had retired before that season even began) and one rookie. Their replacements came via trades and the draft, leaving the 2018 Melbourne Football Club player list (with new players in italics) as follows - PRIMARY LIST: Oskar Baker Harley Balic Angus Brayshaw Tomas Bugg Bayley Fritsch Sam Frost Jeff Garlett Max Gawn Mitch Hannan James Harmes Michael Hibberd Jesse Hogan Jayden Hunt Neville Jetta Dion Johnstone Nathan Jones Jay Kennedy Harris Dean Kent Mitch King Jake Lever Jordan Lewis Oscar McDonald Tom McDonald Pat McKenna Jake Melksham Alex Neal-Bullen Clayton Oliver Cameron Pedersen Christian Petracca Harrison Petty Christian Salem Charlie Spargo Joel Smith Billy Stretch Dom Tyson Aaron vandenBerg Bernie Vince Jack Viney Josh Wagner Sam Weideman ROOKIE LIST: CATEGORY A Lachlan Filipovic Declan Keilty Corey Maynard Tim Smith As in the past, the process has been going on for months and even longer in the case of the assessment of younger talent. The 18 clubs have all been working feverishly looking for potential trades and for which some players on their lists are moved on. The Demons have already added two Category B rookies who will shortly commence their apprenticeships at the club. The changes were being foreshadowed even before season’s end when two Demons - Harley Balic and Bernie Vince - had also announced their retirements. The floodgates were opened almost as soon as the final siren sounded at Optus Stadium on Preliminary Final day. The first delistings included Tom Bugg, Mitch King, Pat McKenna and Cam Pedersen, who announced his retirement, and rookie Lachie Filipovic. Yesterday, Dion Johnstone was added to that group. Then there are those being mentioned in despatches as being on the trade table from Dean Kent who almost has his foot in the door at St Kilda, to Jesse Hogan, seemingly bound for Fremantle delisted) and others such as Dom Tyson and Aaron vandenBerg said to be exploring options for various reasons. This means a potential of a dozen new faces including names such as May, Kolodjashnij, Preuss and many more in the club’s new period of upheaval and change ...

CHANGES 2018 by The Oracle PART 1 - UPHEAVAL AND CHANGE Every year, as soon as the grand final siren sounds, the 18 AFL clubs enter into a new season that lasts for two months and ends in the drafts. This is the time of transition and sometimes upheaval for the clubs as their lists change in the hope for each of them that they can regenerate their lists to the point where they can challenge for a premiership flag. The official proceedings start today with the opening of the restricted free agency offer and unrestricted free agency period starts and on Monday, the NAB AFL Trade Period kicks off. The coming off season of change is looming large at the Melbourne Football Club in comparison with last year when the club farewelled only six senior list players (including one, Heritier Lumumba, who had retired before that season even began) and one rookie. Their replacements came via trades and the draft, leaving the 2018 Melbourne Football Club player list (with new players in italics) as follows - PRIMARY LIST: Oskar Baker Harley Balic Angus Brayshaw Tomas Bugg Bayley Fritsch Sam Frost Jeff Garlett Max G awn Mitch Hannan James Harmes Michael Hibberd Jesse Hogan Jayden Hunt Neville Jetta Dion Johnstone Nathan Jones Jay Kennedy Harris Dean Kent Mitch King Jake Lever Jordan Lewis Oscar McDonald Tom McDonald Pat McKenna Jake Melksham Alex Neal-Bullen Clayton Oliver Cameron Pedersen Christian Petracca Harrison Petty Chr istian Salem Charlie Spargo Joel Smith Billy Stretch Dom Tyson Aaron vandenBerg Bernie Vince Jack Viney Josh Wagner Sam Weideman ROOKIE LIST: CATEGORY A Lachlan Filipovic Declan Keilty Corey Maynard Tim Smith As in the past, the process has been going on for months and even longer in the case of the assessment of younger talent. The 18 clubs have all been working feverishly looking for potential trades and for which some players on their lists are moved on. The Demons have already added two Category B rookies who will shortly commence their apprenticeships at the club. The changes were being foreshadowed even before season’s end when two Demons - Harley Balic and Bernie Vince - had also announced their retirements. The floodgates were opened almost as soon as the final siren sounded at Optus Stadium on Preliminary Final day. The first delistings included Tom Bugg, Mitch King, Pat McKenna and Cam Pedersen, who announced his retirement, and rookie Lachie Filipovic. Yesterday, Dion Johnstone was added to that group. Then there are those being mentioned in despatches as being on the trade table from Dean Kent who almost has his foot in the door at St Kilda, to Jesse Hogan, seemingly bound for Fremantle delisted) and others such as Dom Tyson and Aaron vandenBerg said to be exploring options for various reasons. This means a potential of a dozen new faces including names such as May, Kolodjashnij, Preuss and many more in the club’s new period of upheaval and change ...

NOTHING PETTY ABOUT THIS BLOKE A key defender with great potential, Petty had one game at AFL level against St Kilda but clearly wasn’t ready at the time. He went back to Casey where he showed some linear improvement so despite the disappointing start to his career, we expect bigger and better things for him with a full pre season behind him. Date of Birth: 12 November, 1999 Height: 197cm Weight: 83kg Games MFC 2018: 1 Career Total: 1 Goals MFC 2018: 0 Career Total: 0 CDFC Games 2018: 19 CDFC Goals 2018: 0 Votes 2018 Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Memorial Trophy: 0 votes

ROYAL RUMBLED The big ruckman from the Murray Bushrangers suffered an ACL in his first season at the club and showed a few glimpses of form at Casey in his return but he failed to show out through much of 2018 and has been delisted. Date of Birth: 1 January, 1997 Height: 200cm Weight: 99kg Games MFC 2018: 0 Career Total: 0 Goals MFC 2018: 0 Career Total: 0 CDFC Games 2018: 14 CDFC Goals 2018: 4

GINGER NINJA The young redhead from Queensland has pace and a bit of presence and was probably not too far off AFL selection before he tore a hammy playing at Casey in the latter part of the season. Date of Birth: 25 May, 1998 Height: 184cm Weight: 79kg Games MFC 2018: 0 Career Total: 0 Goals MFC 2018: 0 Career Total: 0 CDFC Games 2018: 15 CDFC Goals 2018: 9

Rare footage of the 1964 Grand Final Banners.

SEASON TO FORGET Jeff had a strong start to the season with a match-winning five goal performance in Round 2 against Brisbane but things went downhill from there. He was in and out of the side for most of the season and some of his later games - even at Casey - were very forgettable. He needs to lift if he is to remain in the AFL scene beyond next year. Date of Birth: 3 August, 1989 Height: 180cm Weight: 72kg Games MFC 2018: 11 Career Total: 178 Goals MFC 2018: 18 Career Total: 312 CDFC Games 2018: 12 CDFC Goals 2018: 15 Votes 2018 Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Memorial Trophy: 105 votes

STILL CUTTING HIS TEETH Last year, Johnstone spent his time cutting his teeth at Casey as a small forward but this year he was tried in defence and showed some good signs at times. Missed the VFL Grand Final due to suspension. Date of Birth: 1 June, 1998 Height: 178cm Weight: 77kg Games MFC 2018: 0 Career Total: 0 Goals MFC 2018: 0 Career Total: 0 CDFC Games 2018: 17 CDFC Goals 2018: 1

THE RAGING BULL Tim Smith has worked hard to establish a place on the club's main list and is a more than handy depth player. He had a handful of senior games in mid season but didn’t quite do enough to establish a place in the Melbourne side, returning to Casey in the last half of the year where he shouldered the ruck duties and played forward. Date of Birth: 20 February, 1991 Height: 192cm Weight: 94kg Games MFC 2018: 4 Career Total: 26 Goals MFC 2018: 3 Career Total: 4 CDFC Games 2018: 15 CDFC Goals 2018: 12 Votes 2018 Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Memorial Trophy: 40 votes

It really comes down to what we give up to get him.