Whispering_Jack

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.

No hurry with either Matthews or White but I forgot to include two players who were already on the list, so I added them below:- Steele Sumner-Pickett Taylor Mihocek Jiath Kentfield Onley Heath Mentha Jnr White Berry Matthews

Hi @Supermercado - it seems the Demonwiki site has been overtaken by some weird Demons again. Are you able to exorcise them?

In order of favouritism for a gig in Round 1 Steele Pickett Taylor Mihocek Jiath Onley Heath White Berry Matthews

I think Xavier Taylor goes okay.

Thanks Timothy … When a team's season ends in upheaval with a forced coaching change, uncertainty always surrounds the direction of the team. Many pundits predict a period of decline for Melbourne, while others, such as Kane Cornes on SEN, remain uncertain. Nobody expects us to win a flag. According to Cornes: "In 2025, Carlton (11th), St Kilda (12th), and Melbourne (14th) were among the mid-table teams that neither challenged for finals nor struggled at the bottom." I’m inclined towards optimism, believing that Melbourne underperformed significantly last year. A slight improvement in performance, driven by a new and distinct coach approach, could rapidly propel the team up the rankings. At their best, Melbourne defeated the reigning premier on their home turf and presented a formidable challenge to a number of finalists. Consequently, they may not be as far from success as some might think.

Melbourne rookie listed Nicholas Walsh in 2000 and Kevin Devine in 2001 but neither played a senior game. According to Demonwiki which is an excellent resource for all things Melbourne and run by @Supermercado:- Nicholas Walsh (#12) “Irish recruit who captained his country's Under 17 international rules team against Australia, and was sponsored by the Demons to complete his studies at St. Kevin's College. In his first year there he won the school Best and Fairest and was drafted by the Demons soon after. “He played two senior games for Sandringham over two seasons, but suffered a wretched run with injury before being delisted”. The reference to Sandringham is to the VFL Zebras who were Melbourne’s affiliate team at the time. Kevin Devine (#48) “The lightly framed Dubliner was recruited during the AFL's second wave of Irish imports. He almost ended up at the Western Bulldogs, but with the two clubs unable to decide between Devine and fellow Irishman Bernie Collins they tossed a coin and the Demons ended up with the younger Devine. Neither played an AFL game. “On arriving at Melbourne, Devine was put on a fitness program to improve his strength, adding five kilograms in his first months at the club. Despite being groomed as a future half-back flanker, winger or half-forward flanker her never made it past the Sandringham seconds, where he played 14 games, and returned to Ireland at the end of the 2001 season”. In the same year in which Devine was recruited, the Sydney Swans drafted Tadgh Kenneally who played 197 games including the 2005 premiership. I suppose that it would be fair to say that after our initial success with Jim Stynes and Sean Wight, our second wave of Irish recruiting was a monumental failure. If only our recruiters had some divine inspiration and found Tadgh instead!

I must have been a touch psychic this morning because the great story below from Paul Amy has appeared on the Leader Newspapers site. We already knew about some of them - Amy names ten Gippslanders joining him at Casey along with a cousin of a Melbourne AFL lister:- Gippsland players to power Casey Demons in VFL by Paul Amy (Leader Newspapers) New Casey Demons coach Rhett McLennan has a good handle on the VFL club's recruits for 2026. He coached most of them at Gippsland Power in the Talent League. The Casey Demons lost a rugged midfielder from Gippsland when Riley Baldi switched to the SANFL after last season. But in Traralgon's Luis D'Angelo the Demons are expected to gain a similarly robust player from the same league. D'Angelo, 23, is yet to apply pen to paper but will be offered a contract and will be happy to sign it. The runner-up in Gippsland Power's 2021 best and fairest, D'Angelo played for Box Hill Hawks in 2022 and was on their list the following year, but did not manage a game. For the past three years he has been a leading player for the Gippsland league Maroons, figuring in their 2024 flag. He has also been named in the past two Gippy league teams of the year. "He's been awesome for Traralgon," former senior coach Troy Hamilton told CODE Sports. "He's a heart-and-soul midfielder, very creative by hand and gutsy." D'Angelo, a physiotherapist, was runner-up in the Traralgon best and fairest in 2023, '24 and again last year. He said he was enjoyed training with Casey and was up for the challenge of resuming in the VFL. His Traralgon teammate Joel Scholtes is also headed for the Demons. Like D'Angelo, Scholtes went through Gippy Power under new Casey coach Rhett McLennan and is a prominent Gippsland league player. "Left-footer, a bit of an intercepting half-back and very fit," was the word from Hamilton. The Demons are also going with two players from West Gippsland league premier Nar Nar Goon. Top tall Nate Pipicelli and Clancy Pope will step up to the VFL after featuring in their club's 2024 and '25 grand final wins. Flanker Pope, who turned 19 this week, first played senior football with the Goon at age 15. Pipicelli, 195cm left-footer, has played as a key forward and in the ruck since graduating from Gippsland Power in 2022. Last year he ran second in the best and fairest to club champion Trent Armour. The Demons will have a strong Gippsland connection this year, with recruits Harry Tatterson (Heyfield), Jonah Walker (Bairnsdale), Jehi Esler (Tooradin-Dalmore), Jobe Scapin (Inverloch-Kongwak), Luke Cheffers (Moe) and Sam Hoghton (Officer) all having gone through the Power. "We'd like to represent the area as best we can," McLennan, who coached the Power for six years, said. "There are plenty of football clubs around - I think I counted 78 in Gippsland and the outer east." But Xavier Hampton is far from local: a cousin of Melbourne-lister Ricky Mentha, he's joined Casey from West Adelaide in the SANFL. Traralgon star Luis D'Angelo is heading to Casey in the VFL. D'Angelo claims Leongatha star Dyson Heppell, more recently known for his performance on reality TV show I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here!. Pictures: Yuri Kouzmin

According to the AFL website, North Melbourne's match simulation today has been cancelled due to gastro outbreak. Meanwhile, Melbourne’s closed training session at Casey Fields is still going ahead today although officials are keeping an eye open for any snakes in the area. If you’re in the area and can assist with any updates, please let us know.

Actually, given that the coach comes directly from Gippsland Power which made last year’s Preliminary Final, we have yet to see a great influx of players from the 2025 team (only Walker so far). I also was in touch with a South Adelaide person during the week and he couldn’t confirm that Deakyn Smith was playing with them this season. Obviously, the lists are to be finalized but we can expect a very different looking Casey Demons this year with a number of regulars going elsewhere. PS Tom Freeman typo fixed.

And it’s great to see that after all the kerfuffle, Tairon Ah Mu gets his chance to wear the red and blue, albeit only as a Casey Demon. Here’s his Rookie Me Central profile from last year: Tairon Ah Mu Height 198cm DOB 06.06.2007 SNAPSHOT: “A beast of a prospect whose sheer size and physicality make him a difficult matchup up forward or in the ruck.” – Michael Alvaro It’s hard to miss Tairon Ah-Mu when he’s playing football at his best. The hulking key position prospect is a man mountain capable of monstering his opponents, which he has done frequently over the years. He represented Vic Country at Under 16, 17, and 18 level, while making his debut for Dandenong Stingrays back in 2023. That year, he also helped Haileybury College take out the APS First XVIII flag. Much of Ah-Mu’s tutelage has come under Essendon great Matthew Lloyd at Haileybury. Together, they helped put together another undefeated season to take out the 2025 title, and Ah-Mu has made great strides in refining his craft. He has also been part of the Melbourne Next Generation Academy, but the AFL’s current eligibility criteria means the Dees won’t have priority access to him come draft time. Ah-Mu has also been a central figure for Dandenong between his school and representative commitments. He booted 22 goals in 11 games as a bottom-ager last year, before going on to kick 15 in eight appearances this year. Not once was Ah-Mu kept goalless as a top-ager in the Coates Talent League. He translated that form to the National Championships to slot seven majors in the Big V guernsey. That came after a six-goal trial match which ended up being one of the forward’s best games all season.

Expect the Code Sports article summarized above to appear in tomorrow’s edition of the Herald Sun.

Today we remember Don Cordner on what would have been his 104th birthday. Don Cordner (21 January 1922 – 13 May 2009) Career highlights 2× VFL premierships: 1941, 1948 Brownlow Medallist: 1946 Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Medallist: 1943 Melbourne captain: 1948–1949 Melbourne Team of the Century–back pocket Melbourne Hall of Fame–Legend status 2× Sporting Life team of the year: 1947, 1949 Sources: AFL Tables, AustralianFootball.com The Cordners are one of the great football dynasties of the Melbourne Football club spanning three generations.