Whispering_Jack

Isn't that whole area a beautiful part of the world? Hope there were some Demonlanders out at McNamara Reserve, Myrtleford this morning to report on today's training session.

From SCOOPS All things footy 24/7 ~ List of train on opportunities at AFL clubs: Oskar Ainsworth and Tex Wanganeen - St Kilda Thomas Burton and Marcus Krasnadamskis - Richmond Jaidyn Stephenson, Balyn O'Brien and Mitch Zadow - Port Adelaide Tom McGuane - Adelaide Chris Scerri - Fremantle

The starting order for next year’s National Draft based on 2025 finishing positions with the current points system. This is subject to possible further amendment as it was compiled on information accumulated from various sources that still need to be cross-checked. As time progresses, we can expect plenty of changes all the way through to next year’s draft. ROUND ONE 1 West Coast Eagles (3,000) 2 Richmond (2,481) 3 North Melbourne (2,178) 4 Essendon (1,962) 5 Melbourne (1,795) 6 Port Adelaide (1,659) 7 St Kilda (1,543) 8 Carlton (1,443) 9 Carlton (1,355) received from Sydney Swans in 2025 10 Western Bulldogs (1,276) 11 Fremantle (1,205) 12 GWS Giants (1,140) 13 Melbourne (1,080) received from Gold Coast Suns in 2025 14 Adelaide (1,024) 15 Hawthorn (973) 16 Collingwood (924) 17 Geelong (879) 18 Brisbane Lions (836) ROUND TWO 19 West Coast Eagles (796) 20 Richmond (757) 21 Carlton (721) received from North Melbourne in 2025 22 Essendon (686) 23 GWS Giants (653) received from Gold Coast in 2025, received from Melbourne in 2025 24 Port Adelaide (621) 25 Hawthorn (590) received from West Coast in 2025, received from St Kilda in 2025 26 Port Adelaide (561) received from Carlton in 2025 27 Sydney Swans (533) 28 Western Bulldogs (505) 29 Fremantle (479) 30 Hawthorn (454) received from GWS Giants in 2025 31 Carlton (429) received from Gold Coast Suns in 2025 32 Adelaide (405) 33 St Kilda (382) received from Hawthorn in 2025 34 Collingwood (360) 35 Geelong (338) 36 Brisbane Lions (317) ROUND THREE 37 West Coast Eagles (297) 38 Richmond (277) 39 North Melbourne (257) 40 Adelaide (238) received from Gold Coast in 2025, received from Essendon in 2025 41 Brisbane Lions (220) received from Collingwood in 2025, received from Melbourne in 2025 42 Port Adelaide (202) 43 St Kilda (184) 44 Sydney Swans (167) received from Carlton in 2025 46 West Coast Eagles (150) received from Hawthorn in 2025, received from Sydney in 2025 46 Western Bulldogs (134) 47 Fremantle (118) 48 Melbourne (102) received from GWS Giants in 2025 49 Port Adelaide (86) received from Gold Coast Suns in 2025 50 Adelaide (71) 51 Brisbane Lions (57) received from Hawthorn in 2025 52 Sydney Swans (42) received from Collingwood in 2025 53 Geelong (28) 54 Carlton (14) received from Brisbane Lions in 2025 ROUND FOUR 55 West Coast Eagles (0) 56 Richmond (0) 57 North Melbourne (0) 58 Essendon (0) 59 Hawthorn (220) received from Melbourne in 2025 60 Port Adelaide (0) 61 St Kilda (0) 62 Carlton (0) 63 Collingwood(0) received from Sydney Swans in 2025 64 West Coast Eagles (0) received from Western Bulldogs in 2025 65 Fremantle (0) 66 Collingwood (0) received from GWS Giants in 2025 67 Gold Coast Suns (0) 68 North Melbourne (0) received from Adelaide in 2025 69 Sydney Swans (0) received from Hawthorn in 2025 70 Collingwood (0) 71 Geelong (0) 72 Brisbane Lions (0)

Len Mann is Hassa’s cousin, older by two years. He joined the club in 1960 and played 46 games (5 goals) through until 1964. Fun fact: Len Mann was first ruck in his first season at the club when he played in the 1960 premiership team for Melbourne. He wore the number 34. What a great thought. A first year player wearing the Melbourne #34 guernsey in a premiership team. Bring it on!

Now that the draft has come and gone and things appear to be settling down as the club embarks on its end-of-year campaign, is there a what now for prospective players or has the recruiting team shut up shop? Recent history tells us that even when there are no list places available for new additions, there remains a possibility that a vacancy might occur through a long-term injury or retirement. Last year, we saw Jack Henderson and Jai Culley awarded AFL lifelines prior to the closing of the supplemental selection period window (in the latter's case, the window was reopened due to AMW's ACL injury late in the practice match against North Melbourne). Culley was originally in summer training to play for the Casey Demons. So bring on Toby Sinnema, Noah Hibbins-Hargreaves, Tairon Ah Mu, Noah Yze and any other prospects who aspire to play at the highest level. The lifeline is still there for the taking.

afl.com.auStars of the future: 10 draft prospects to watch in 2026Callum Twomey looks ahead to the best prospects for the 2026 Telstra AFL Draft

One of the great pleasures I got from the opening night of the 2025 AFL National Draft was to see club legend Hassa Mann present the club guernsey to draftee Xavier Taylor. It brought back memories of when my parents brought home our first television in 1959 and I turned on the set to watch Veals World of Sport on HSV7. In those days the show went to air on a Saturday and Hassa was interviewed as a budding new recruit from Merbein. He had a really bushie accent and it was very hard to understand what he was saying but he did well for himself in life quickly rising to executive level in business as well as having a long and rewarding career in football. Born Harold Peter Mann on October 9, 1940, he earned the nickname "Hassa" as a toddler from his cousin and future Melbourne footballer, Len Mann. Mann's impressive career highlights include: - Awards and Accolades: - 3× VFL premiership winner (1959, 1960, 1964) - 3× Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Medallist (1962, 1963, 1967) - 2× Melbourne leading goalkicker (1967, 1968) - Melbourne captain (1965-1968) - All-Australian selection (1966) - Career Statistics: - Played 178 games for Melbourne, scoring 193 goals - Finished in the top 10 of the Brownlow Medal count four times - Post-Playing Career: - Captain-coach at South Fremantle, winning a best and fairest in his debut season and a premiership in 1970 - Coached Caulfield in the Victorian Football Association (1981) and Eltham premiership team (1982) - Inducted into the Australian Football Hall of Fame (2013) - Named at half-forward flank in Melbourne's official 'Team of the Century' (2000) Mann remains involved with the Melbourne Football Club, maintaining close ties with his former teammates through regular reunions and this presentation links the club’s past with the present. I recently heard Kane Cornes criticize his former club for emphasizing its history, arguing that it should concentrate solely on the future rather than on past achievements. While I believe we should not dwell too much on the past, I disagree with Cornes. I think it’s important for incoming players to be aware of and respect the club's heritage, to understand what they can aspire to achieve, to strive for greatness and to become part of a legacy that shapes the future. Great to see Hassa at 85 and still a Demon!

This would have to be a match made in heaven for Demonlanders. Reading this article written ahead of the draft with its references to Demonland you would think that the author had some premonition about which club was going to draft him. Then you realise that his local club is the Shepparton United Football Netball Club, nicknamed the Demons, and the penny drops. Still, he won’t be unfamiliar with his new colours. Another fun fact is that he trained in the preseason with Collingwood. I already had a good feeling about pinching Brody Mihocek away from them and now an impressive young gun as well 😀

The MFC list has been fully updated. The rest will be completed shortly.

I couldn’t have selected a better day to return to Melbourne following a sojourn in the north, where sunshine prevailed in stark contrast to reports of icy winds and rain at home in early November. Today, I attended a training session at Gosch’s Paddock for my first Demons’ men’s preseason training session to a pleasant surprise in the form of new recruit Xavier Taylor from the Eastern Ranges. Taylor received the customary Demon Army hug of welcome and then proceeded to demonstrate all of the skills and talent expected of an early first round draft selection. This was the first time I had seen him in the flesh but I had followed the highlights of his stellar season through the winter in the Coates Talent League and at Victoria Metro Under 18 level. I watched him carve up the Sandringham Dragons forwards on screen in a CTL Grand Final best-on-ground performance in the Ranges’ 15-point premiership victory where he controlled the air and the ground with 25 disposals and 15 marks. He ran onto the ground today and looked and felt completely at home with some skillful manoevres that suggested he is headed for a long and successful career. Unfortunately, his fellow draftees in Latrelle Pickett and Thomas Matthews (reputedly excitement machines par excellence) weren’t yet available so I’ll have to come back for some more before the team breaks off for the end of the year. Taylor wasn’t the only player to impress. Kozzy Pickett was in everything , showcasing his innate ability to anticipate the exact point where the ball was about to arrive. The skipper appeared comfortable as he transitioned into training after his recent overseas trip and he had a good contest with a physically imposing trainee understudy ruckman in Max Heath from the Saints. New recruits Brody Mihocek and Changkuoth Jiath (CJ) were both in partial rehab, but demonstrated that they will bring new dimensions to the team's dynamic. I liked the look of Blake Howes who showed a fair bit of run and there’s a bit of competition among budding key forwards JvR, Matt Jefferson and Luker Kentfield. Jai Culley looks a likely improver and very impressive wearing the number 13. Bailey Laurie is working hard for one of the spots opening up in the midfield. As training finished for the men, the women came out for their final warm up session before tomorrow’s Preliminary Final against North Melbourne. They looked keen an bouyed for the task as they kicked off with a soccer friendly. It was time to get back to the office before watching Mitchell Starc destroy the Poms in their first innings in between the Rookie Draft where Melbourne welcomed a tall midfielder in Riley Onley along with the long-awaited arrival of Kalani White. It’s been a great day for Demonkind!

Really?

… and that’s a wrap AFL PRESEASON DRAFT PICK 1 Adelaide Callum Ah Che AFL PRELISTED ROOKIE PICKS Rookies (Category A) Collingwood Jai Saxena Melbourne Kalani White Rookies (Category B) Fremantle Toby Whan Fremantle Ryda Luke Geelong Jesse Mellor GWS Giants Riley Hamilton Sydney Swans Noah Chamberlain Sydney Swans Liam Hetherton AFL ROOKIE DRAFT PICKS ROUND ONE 1 West Coast Eagles Fred Rodriguez 2. Richmond – Pass 3 Melbourne Riley Onley 4 Port Adelaide Jack Watkins 5 St Kilda Patrick Said 6 Carlton – Pass 7 Sydney Swans Jake Lloyd 8 Fremantle Leon Kickett 9 GWS Giants Conor Stone 10 Gold Coast Suns Ben Jepson 11 Adelaide Tyler Welsh 12 Hawthorn Ollie Greeves 13 Geelong George Stevens 14 Brisbane Lions Lincoln McCarthy ROUND TWO 15 West Coast Eagles - Pass 16 Port Adelaide – Pass 17 St Kilda – Pass 18 Sydney Swans Dane Rampe 19 Fremantle – Pass 20 GWS Giants – Pass 21 Adelaide – Pass 22 Hawthorn – Pass 23 Geelong Keighton Matofai-Forbes ROUND THREE 24 West Coast Eagles – Pass 25 Port Adelaide – Pass 26 Fremantle – Pass 27 Hawthorn – Pass 28 Geelong Nick Driscoll ROUND FOUR 29 West Coast Eagles – Pass * re-rookied player in bold

AFL PRESEASON DRAFT PICK 1 Adelaide Callum Ah Che AFL PRELISTED ROOKIE PICKS Rookies (Category A) Collingwood Jai Saxena Melbourne Kalani White Rookies (Category B) Fremantle Toby Whan Fremantle Ryda Luke Geelong Jesse Mellor GWS Giants Riley Hamilton Sydney Swans Noah Chamberlain Sydney Swans Liam Hetherton AFL ROOKIE DRAFT PICKS ROUND ONE 1 West Coast Eagles Fred Rodriguez 2. Richmond – Pass 3 Melbourne Riley Onley 4 Port Adelaide Jack Watkins 5 St Kilda Patrick Said 6 Carlton – Pass 7 Sydney Swans Jake Lloyd 8 Fremantle Leon Kickett 9 GWS Giants Conor Stone 10 Gold Coast Suns Ben Jepson 11 Adelaide Tyler Welsh 12 Hawthorn Ollie Greeves 13 Geelong George Stevens 14 Brisbane Lions Lincoln McCarthy ROUND TWO 15 West Coast Eagles - Pass 16 Port Adelaide – Pass 17 St Kilda – Pass 18 Sydney Swans Dane Rampe 19 Fremantle – Pass 20 GWS Giants – Pass 21 Adelaide – Pass 22 Hawthorn – Pass 23 Geelong Keighton Matofai-Forbes ROUND THREE 24 West Coast Eagles – Pass 25 Port Adelaide – Pass 26 Fremantle – Pass 27 Hawthorn – Pass 28 Geelong Nick Driscoll ROUND FOUR 29 West Coast Eagles – Pass * re-rookied player in bold

Apologies - the rookie draft was over before the luncheon interval in the First Test in Perth. The good news is that we took a wicket at around the time we selected Riley Onley. Well done to our list management team!

Kevin Sheehan's 2025 Telstra AFL Draft top prospects: Midfielders Riley Onley State: Victoria Country State League Club: Murray Bushrangers Community Club: Shepparton United Date of Birth: 30/03/2007 Height: 195cm A tall midfielder, Onley uses his height and reach to excel around stoppages and has a good burst of speed to break the game open. A powerful player who covers the ground extremely well, he divided his playing time this year between Scotch College, the Murray Bushrangers and Victoria Country. Was at his dominant best in the final two games of the National Championships against the Allies and Victoria Metro, with his bursts through the midfield and ball use superb. Onley averaged 23 disposals (9.8 contested), 4.8 marks and four clearances for Victoria Country to win All Australian honours, as well as being named in the Coates Talent League Team of the Year. A graduate of the Marsh AFL National Academy, he missed testing at the Draft Combine due to hamstring injury.

Riley Onley is a tall midfielder - it was a surprise that we made space to pick another player after taking Kalani White as a Category A rookie and opting not to draft promising NGA prospect Toby Sinnema. However, Onley did have a strong National Championship Carnival and was made All Australian before injury struck and he fell down the draft rankings. Long before this season even started, he was considered a top ten draft candidate ~ afl.com.auStars of the future: 10 draft prospects to watch in 2025Callum Twomey looks ahead to the best prospects for the 2025 Telstra AFL DraftOnley’s profile is impressive ~ Aussie Rules Rookie Me CentralRiley Onley Draft ProfileMurray Bushrangers midfielder Riley Onley possesses power and speed at 195cm, providing a point of difference among this year's crop.

The Rookie Draft order:- ROUND ONE 1 West Coast Eagles 2 Richmond 3 Melbourne 4 Port Adelaide 5 St Kilda 6 Carlton 7 Sydney Swans 8 Fremantle 9 GWS Giants 10 Gold Coast Suns 11 Adelaide 12 Hawthorn 13 Geelong 14 Brisbane Lions ROUND TWO 15 West Coast Eagles 16 Port Adelaide 17 St Kilda 18 Sydney Swans 19 Fremantle 20 Adelaide 21 Hawthorn 22 Geelong ROUND THREE 23 West Coast Eagles 24 Port Adelaide 25 Fremantle 26 Hawthorn 27 Geelong ROUND FOUR 28 West Coast Eagles

Aussie Rules Rookie Me CentralThomas Matthews Draft ProfileGippsland Power skipper Thomas Matthews is a livewire small forward who applies relentless pressure and kicks goals in bunches.

I think the Rookie Draft partially coincides with the lunch break in the first test so we can still multitask and focus on both sports.

What's next? The Ashes series.

And that's Round Two and the rest of the rounds done and dusted ... ROUND TWO 26 North Melbourne Blake Thredgold 194cm Def SA 27 Western Bulldogs Louis Emmett 199cm Ruck VIC 28 Gold Coast Suns Avery Thomas 185cm Def TAS 29 West Coast Eagles Sam Allen 182cm Mid VIC 30 Melbourne Thomas Matthews 171cm Fwd VIC 31 Richmond Zane Peucker 179cm Fwd/Mid SA 32 Collingwood Tyan Prindable 181cm Mid QLD 33 Geelong Hunter Holmes 188cm Mid VIC 34 Hawthorn Jack Dalton 177Cm Mid VIC 35 Sydney Swans Jevan Phillipou 183cm Mid/Fwd SA 36 Essendon Max Kondogiannis 190cm Def VIC ROUND THREE 37 Collingwood Samuel Swadling 189cm Mid WA 38 Brisbane Lions Koby Evans 188cm Fwd/Mid WA 39 West Coast Eagles * Tylah Williams 175cm Fwd WA 40 Fremantle Tobyn Murray 179Cm Fwd VIC 41 St Kilda * Charlie Banfield 192cm Mid WA 42 Sydney Swans Billy Cootee 178cm Mid/Fwd SA 43 Brisbane Lions Cody Curtin 200cm Fwd WA 44 Brisbane Lions Tai Hayes 193cm Mid QLD 45 Carlton Talor Byrne 174cm Mid/Fwd VIC 46 Gold Coast Suns * Koby Coulson 180cm Mid/Fwd QLD 47 Carlton * Jack Ison 191cm Mid VIC 48 North Melbourne Hugo Mikunda 180cm Fwd VIC 49 Sydney Swans * Max King 191cm Fwd/Mid NSW 50 Adelaide Archie Ludowyke 197cm Fwd VIC 51 GWS Giants Finnegan Davis 188cm Def VIC 52 St Kilda * Kye Fincher 184cm Mid VIC 53 Essendon * Hussien El-Achkar 171cm Fwd VIC 54 Richmond Noah Roberts-Thomson 181cm Fwd SA 55 Collingwood Zac McCarthy 199cm Fwd VIC ROUNDS FOUR TO SEVEN 56 Hawthorn Matthew Leray 188cm Mid SA 57 Collingwood Angus Anderson 190cm Mid SA 58 St Kilda Ryan Byrnes 181cm Mid VIC 59 GWS Giants Jake Stringer 192cm Fwd VIC 60 Western Bulldogs Will Darcy 196cm Def/Fwd VIC * Bid matched