Whispering_Jack

As a guide to who might be selected for next Friday’s game against Richmond, let’s look at where they were last Friday:- MELBOURNE V NORTH MELBOURNE (Casey Fields 22 February 2026) 2. Jacob Van Rooyen 3. Christian Salem 4. Harvey Langford 5. Xavier Lindsay 6. Caleb Windsor 8. Jake Lever 9. Jack Steele 10. Daniel Turner 12. Koltyn Tholstrup 14. Changkuoth Jiath 15. Ed Langdon 16. Bailey Laurie 19. Xavier Taylor 21. Matthew Jefferson 22. Blake Howes 24. Trent Rivers 25. Tom McDonald 26. Jed Adams * 27. Max Heath 28. Brody Mihocek 30. Harry Sharp 31. Bayley Fritsch 32. Tom Sparrow 33. Latrelle Sumner-Pickett 36. Kysaiah Pickett 37. Kade Chandler 39. Ricky Mentha Jnr * 44. Luker Kentfield * selected but did not play CASEY DEMONS V NORTH MELBOURNE VFL (Casey Fields 22 February 2026) 3. Christian Salem + 18. Jake Melksham 19. Xavier Taylor + 20. Thomas Matthews 26. Jed Adams 30. Harry Sharp + 38. Oscar Berry 39. Ricky Mentha Jnr 40. Riley Onley 44.Luker Kentfield + + also played in main game DID NOT PLAY (22 February 2026) 1. Steven May (personal leave) 7. Jack Viney (Achilles) 11. Max Gawn (managed) 13. Jai Culley (arm) 17. Jake Bowey (foot) 23. Shane McAdam (Achilles) 29. Tom Campbell (neck) 34. Kalani White (glandular fever) 35. Harry Petty (concussion protocol) 42. Aidan Johnson (hamstring) 43. Jack Henderson (back/sacrum) 45. Andy Moniz-Wakefield (knee) INJURED (22 February 2026) 28. Brody Mihocek (concussion protocol)

Wardlaw goes okay too.

The Age and its sister paper, the Sydney Morning Herald have been in steady decline for years. However, since being taken over by Nine News they’ve been doing even further downhill and soon it will go out of business altogether.

Casey Demons 12.5.77 lost to North Melbourne VFL 11.12.78 Hopefully, we will get report over the weekend.

The Preseason Ladder ~ W L D F A % PTS ST KILDA 1 0 0 107 36 297.22 4 MELBOURNE 1 0 0 135 49 275.51 4 ESSENDON 1 0 0 118 68 173.53 4 SYDNEY SWANS 1 0 0 99 66 150.00 4 GWS GIANTS 1 0 0 104 75 138.67 4 ADELAIDE 1 0 0 94 75 125.33 4 HAWTHORN 1 0 0 111 94 118.09 4 CARLTON 1 0 0 103 88 117.05 4 FREMANTLE 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 0 WEST COAST 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 0 BRISBANE LIONS 0 1 0 88 103 85.44 0 GEELONG 0 1 0 94 111 84.68 0 PORT ADELAIDE 0 1 0 75 94 79.79 0 COLLINGWOOD 0 1 0 75 104 72.16 0 W. BULLDOGS 0 1 0 66 99 66.67 0 RICHMOND 0 1 0 68 118 57.63 0 N. MELBOURNE 0 1 0 49 135 36.3 0 GOLD COAST 0 1 0 36 107 33.64 0

The 2026 Preseason is upon us and it is time to vote for the inaugural Demonland Player of the Preseason. Please submit your votes for the Practice Match win over North Melbourne. 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 & 1.

And now for the all-important Preseason Ladder:- W L D F A % PTS ST KILDA 1 0 0 107 36 297.22 4 ESSENDON 1 0 0 118 68 173.53 4 SYDNEY SWANS 1 0 0 99 66 150.00 4 GWS GIANTS 1 0 0 104 75 138.67 4 HAWTHORN 1 0 0 111 94 118.09 4 CARLTON 1 0 0 103 88 117.05 4 ADELAIDE 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 0 FREMANTLE 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 0 MELBOURNE 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 0 N. MELBOURNE 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 0 PORT ADELAIDE 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 0 WEST COAST 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 0 BRISBANE LIONS 0 1 0 88 103 85.44 0 GEELONG 0 1 0 94 111 84.68 0 COLLINGWOOD 0 1 0 75 104 72.16 0 W. BULLDOGS 0 1 0 66 99 66.67 0 RICHMOND 0 1 0 68 118 57.63 0 GOLD COAST 0 1 0 36 107 33.64 0

Good on Clarry. He looked good today although the orange outfit didn't really suit him.

FIxed (the notation, not the knee)

Saints looked good, Suns looked uninterested and were gassed in the last quarter and a half.

The preseason ladder - W L D F A % PTS ST KILDA 1 0 0 107 36 297.22 4 SYDNEY SWANS 1 0 0 99 66 150.00 4 HAWTHORN 1 0 0 111 94 118.09 4 CARLTON 1 0 0 103 88 117.05 4 ADELAIDE 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 0 COLLINGWOOD 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 0 ESSENDON 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 0 FREMANTLE 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 0 GWS GIANTS 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 0 MELBOURNE 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 0 N. MELBOURNE 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 0 PORT ADELAIDE 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 0 RICHMOND 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 0 WEST COAST 0 0 0 0 0 0.00 0 BRISBANE LIONS 0 1 0 88 103 85.44 0 GEELONG 0 1 0 94 111 84.68 0 W. BULLDOGS 0 1 0 66 99 66.67 0 GOLD COAST 0 1 0 36 107 33.64 0

Exactly 70 years ago today, the club issued an invitation to attend the club’s preseason to a young prospect named Ron Matthews. This was long before the days of the draft. The preseason didn't start until late February which was about six weeks before the actual season began. And if you needed an incentive, there was no big money contract on offer but you did get the incredible opportunity to watch a film of the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games. Those were the days!

The issue arises every year and, as per the above, is as follows:- Schedule 5A - AFL Player and List Management 1. AFL Player Lists Each Club will maintain their AFL Lists during the Terms as follows: (a) The number of AFL Players on the Club's AFL Primary List will be not more than 38 and not less than 36; (b) The number of AFL Players on the Club's Category A Rookie List will be not mor than 6 provided that a Club must not have more than 42 AFL Players on their AFL Primary List and Category A Rookie List at any time; and (c) The number of AFL Players on the Club's Category B Rookie List will be not more than 2. 2. AFL Inactive List (a) A Club may apply to the General Counsel or Executive General Manager of Football to transfer an AFL Player suffering a season ending injury from its AFL Primary List to its AFL Inactive List. A season ending injury means an injury or illness suffered by an AFL Player which, in the opinion of the AFL Chief Medical Officer, after consultation with the Club Doctor, will prevent or is likely to prevent an AFL Player, having due regard to their health and safety, from participating in AFL Matches for the remainder of the relevant AFL Season. (b) An AFL Player may only be transferred to the AFL Inactive List with the AFL Player's consent and with the approval of the General Counsel. (c) An AFL Player who is transferred to an AFL Inactive List is ineligible to play in the AFL Competition or in any other Australian Football competition for the period from the date that AFL Player is transferred to the AFL Inactive List until the conclusion of the relevant AFL Season. (d) Where an AFL Player is transferred to the AFL Inactive List, a Club may replace that AFL Player by selecting a replacement player during the AFL Pre-Season Supplemental Selection Period or at the mid-AFL Season Draft Selection Meeting. (e) A Club is unable to replace an AFL Player transferred to its AFL Inactive List after the conclusion of the mid-AFL Season Draft Selection Meeting. The current state of the club’s player lists is: PRIMARY LIST: — Jed Adams Jake Bowey Tom Campbell Kade Chandler Bayley Fritsch Max Gawn Max Heath Blake Howes Matthew Jefferson Changkuoth Jiath Aidan Johnson Ed Langdon Harvey Langford Bailey Laurie Jake Lever Xavier Lindsay Tom McDonald Shane McAdam Thomas Matthews Steven May Jake Melksham Brody Mihocek Harrison Petty Kysaiah Kropinyeri Pickett Trent Rivers Christian Salem Harry Sharp Tom Sparrow Latrelle Sumner-Pickett Jack Steele Xavier Taylor Koltyn Tholstrup Daniel Turner Jacob van Rooyen Jack Viney Caleb Windsor (36 players) ROOKIE LIST: CATEGORY A Jai Culley Jack Henderson Luker Kentfield Andy Moniz-Wakefield Riley Onley Kalani White (6 players) ROOKIE LIST: CATEGORY B Oscar Berry Ricky Mentha Jnr (2 players) To be clear, the club does not currently have any players who have been placed on its AFL Inactive List.

WALTZING by Whispering Jack The so-called 'match simulation' at Casey Fields today was more like a casual kickaround with the lids off. With State of Origin stars missing, injuries galore, and players coming back from rehab, the Dees even had to dig deep into their VFL squad. The result? Not exactly a thrilling high class spectacle, more like a waltz with your little sister. But that's not the point – the focus was not about putting on a show but rather, on shaking off the rust, getting match fit and testing out the way the players were adapting to the new regime of play under new coach Steven King. I caught the game livestreamed on the club website in three 20-minute stanzas, plus time on, but it was a bit stop-start – truncated by periods where play was halted for coaches’ instructions and, bizarrely, a power outage meant that we missed a four-goal blitz from the Blue team. The primary discussion points of the preseason have centered on the potential impact of the departures of two key premiership midfielders, Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver, as well as the recent surgery for Jack Viney, on the team and the new style of rapid ball movement introduced by the coaching staff. In many ways, these factors are interconnected. Today’s display showcased better ball movement at pace, with an emphasis on continuous play. Although the performance wasn’t spectacular in the open conditions at Casey Fields and it was still a waltz with sis, it came at a faster tempo than at any time in the days of Simon Goodwin (apart from Q4 of the 21 GF). This accords with the way the game is evolving and the full effects of the change will become apparent over time. The development appears to be a compelling shift that will undoubtedly have a profound impact in the medium to long term. The stand out performance came from speedster Caleb Windsor in the midfield. He was fast and elusive as he cut his way through the midfield like a hot knife through butter. Former St Kilda skipper Jack Steele was his foil bringing his strength and presence into the mix, while Harvey Langford thrived as the tall body on the ball. With Kozzy and Riv back from State duty, the Demons' engine room could well become a potent weapon and might be silencing some doubters yet. King's pace gambit also involves utilizing half-back run, exemplified by the presence of youthful, classy recent high draft picks in Xavier Taylor, Xavier Lindsay, and Koltyn Tholstrup, who were all active in spreading quickly across the field of play, facilitating numerous forward movements. The beneficiaries were forwards like Matt Jefferson, Jacob van Rooyen and newcomers to the team in veteran Brodie Mihocek and the untried Luker Kentfield who also rucked against Max Heath who was channeling the other Max in the ruck. Jefferson was in fine fettle early and showed his growth in confidence with some big grabs before coming to grief with an injury after a big mark. Latrelle Pickett showed plenty of zip up forward and there were some promising moments from Thomas Matthews. The best of the taller defenders was the much improved Blake Howes. Paddy Cross and Tairon Ah Mu were the pick of the VFL players and were busy booting three goals each. BLUE 8.4.52 13.8.86 16.12.108 WHITE 2.2.14 4.7.31 5.13.43 GOALS (per melbournefc.com.au) BLUE Jefferson, van Rooyen, Langdon 2, Windsor, Fritsch, Melksham, Laurie, VFL Top Up Players 6 WHITE Sharp 2, Mihocek, Windsor, VFL Top Up Player Spoiler alert re VFL Top Up Players who kicked goals - it’s believed that they were Cross, Ah Mu 3, Bonner (maybe 2 but … )

Harpo Marx and Marcel Marceau in commentary.

Really?

I’m happy that we ended up winning.

The AFL website has come out with an injury ‘update’ that didn’t take much time to get out of date. You can add Kalani White (glandular fever) to the list at the bottom along with a handful of others who have been undergoing modified training programs that indicate that they are nowhere near optimal fitness as the start of the season approaches. Fingers crossed for today and tomorrow.

This is from The Mongrel Punt - https://themongrelpunt.com/afl-season-2026/2026/01/29/2026-melbourne-season-preview-the-big-questions/ It asks a number of questions about the club’s 2026 season. Only five are visible behind the firewall so if anyone can summarize the rest of the story, it would be much appreciated.

Summary of Harrison Borthwick’s Herald Sun Track Watch article - JAI FIRMS FOR DEES’ OPENER Jai Culley produced another stunning performance in a match simulation as his impressive summer on the track continues. He was a ball magnet at training on Wednesday, rolling through the midfield and pushing forward to set up attacking thrusts. He is firming for a Round 1 spot with the Demons. Koltyn Tholstrup also impressed in a more prominent midfield role. On the fresh faces: Changkuoth Jiath was electric off half-back, using his leap to intercept marks from long down-the-line kicks. His role in defence will be vital as Jake Bowey will be out for much of the season with a foot injury. Max Heath rotated forward, offering a target deep in attack and plucking a number of marks. Latrelle Pickett showed class with a dancing effort that evaded three tackling attempts before hitting forward Aidan Johnson on the lead. Jack Steele lined up on Harvey Langford in match sim and beat his younger teammate convincingly – leading Langford around the park and keeping the second-year player quiet. Forwards - the forward line still appears to be a work in progress as the key targets failed to fire in the match sim. Apart from taking a strong contested mark on Lever, which led to a goal, Jacob van Rooyen otherwise struggled to impose himself. Matthew Jefferson also failed to make an impact. Bayley Fritsch was crafty up forward and hit the scoreboard. Brody Mihocek (foot) has been limited this summer, and while he failed to have an influence the former Pie took part in match sim. Kysaiah Pickett appears set for a prominent midfield role, but he did push forward to kick two goals in the 40-minute match sim. Taking it slow - Max Gawn took part in warm-up drills, but is still protective of his broken finger which is in a brace. He watched on as his teammates competed in match sim. Christian Salem, Jake Melksham, and Shane McAdam ran laps. Steven May was limited to a modified program, and Jack Viney still seems some time away as he recovers from his achilles soreness. Tom Campbell is still in a neck brace recovering from a torn ligament, while Andy Moniz-Wakefield started with the main group but eventually completed light drills and did not participate in the match sim.

Today’s Herald Sun on the most likely prospects for an AFL debut:- MELBOURNEYet to make debut: Xavier Taylor, Latrelle Pickett, Thomas Matthews, Riley Onley, Kalani White, Luker Kentfield, Ricky Mentha. Xavier Taylor, and potentially Latrelle Pickett, will feature early in 2026. Pickett has been especially impressive since arriving at the club in the first round of the draft. Luker Kentfield had a strong 2025 VFL campaign and will push for an early debut if the key forward stocks start to deplete. Best Chance: Latrelle Pickett.