Whispering_Jack

On the VFL Rewind Radio Program (I found this on Facebook) The Bayley Fritsch story is a pretty amazing story of perseverance and hard work to firstly get to a VFL list, then onto an AFL list and then climbing Everest and winning a AFL premiership medal. Bayley Fritsch was never picked to play TAC Cup but in 2014 he was playing senior footy at Coldstream FNC in the Eastern Football Netball League as a 18 year old and also having a kick in the clubs under 19’s team. Bayley accepted a offer to join Casey Demons in 2015. Back then VFL lists could sign 68 players meaning Bayley got a opportunity and VFL clubs could take more of a chance on some players. However, he hardly played at all in 2015 & 2016 due to injuries but Casey Demons kept their faith in Bayley and gave him another year. Bayley had a breakout year in 2017 and played 19 games and kicked 42 goals at VFL level. In the AFL draft of 2017 Melbourne footy club drafted him with pick 31. In his first year at AFL level he played 23 games and between 2018-present he has missed only AFL 20 games. The 2021 AFL grand final is the biggest moment to date in Bayley’s career. He kicked 6 goals and had 13 disposals as he went on to become a AFL premiership player. It’s a great story of never giving up and chasing your AFL dream. From local senior footy to the bright lights of the AFL grand final. The Bayley Fritsch story is a very good football story.

It’s probably keeping his larynx in place.

Christian Petracca marries partner Bella in stunning ceremony Congratulations to Christian Petracca and Bella Beischer who tied the knot yesterday in a stunning ceremony at the Royal Botanic Gardens. There were plenty of Demon teammates on hand enjoying the ceremony. The couple drove off in a vintage Mercedes with a beaming Beischer wearing a beautiful white strapless gown and clutching white flowers ending a dramatic six month period for them after that sickening on-field clash in June. Congratulations and looking forward to a better year ahead, some more flags and Norm Smiths and plenty of father/son and father/daughter player in the future.

I went to my first MFC AGM some time in the 1960s and I can tell you that nothing's changed. You always had a few people eager to get on their soapbox and some were even inebriated before the post function drinks, sandwiches, party pies and sausage rolls were trotted out. And it wasn't confined to supporters because I remember one club president was blind shicker when he left the meeting (in our elevator). If you think this was ever just a Melbourne Football Club thing, I have friends at Carlton, Collingwood and Essendon who used to tell me the same stories about their AGMs and from their descriptions of recent such events, nothing's changed either. My favourite person from club AGMs was the bloke who got up every year during the period late in Jim Cardwell’s reign as club secretary and who was obviously from the bush and outfitted by R. M. Williams complete with boots and driza-bone and a leather face to match. I used to call him Clancy. Clancy would ask Jim the same question every year – “can yer give us a run down on recruitin’”. Jim would rattle off the names of prospective players including one or two who he guaranteed might become champions, we would note down the names and come March when pre-season started, we would wonder what happened to most of the names who never came to the club. That was long before the internet when AGMs were fun. These days I don't attend but I might have a look at the proceedings during the summer break.

The good thing is that today's date is 20 December 2024 and they play the Grand Final on 27 September 2025. If I remember correctly, we weren't great at any phase of the game on 20 December 2020 either.

We kick off the 2025 thread with a round up from this pre-Christmas update from Melbourne’s AFL High Performance Manager Selwyn Griffith - Performance Update | Dees on track for 2025 Max Gawn - fractured larynx sustained at training. No exercise for two weeks and no contact training for an additional four weeks. Xavier Lindsay - PCL injury sustained late in the Coates Talent League season to be integrated into the main group and will go into the Christmas break on the draftee program (unrestricted). Christian Salem and Bayley Fritsch - both had arthroscopes at the end of the season and entered into rehab alongside one another. They have now integrated into full training. Jake Lever - underwent a knee arthroscope and shoulder surgery in the off-season, is tracking well and is entering into his final month of rehab. He will be in a modified environment after the Christmas break and is expected to be in full training by the end of January. Charlie Spargo - was sidelined for most of 2024 with an Achilles injury but is now integrated into skills with the group and is building his conditioning volume. The aim is to integrate him into an individualised Christmas program, with the plan for him to return to full training post-Christmas. Melbourne’s AFL program will return from the Christmas break on Thursday 9th January 2025, their first day of 2025 at Casey Fields.

Here is a recap of every selection from the 2024 AFLW Draft:- Pick 1 | Collingwood
 Ash Centra (Gippsland Power / Vic Country) Pick 2 | Gold Coast (BID MATCHED) Havana Harris (Gold Coast Suns Academy / Queensland) Pick 3 | Melbourne
 Molly O’Hehir (South Fremantle / Western Australia) Pick 4 | GWS
 Sara Howley (Geelong Falcons / Vic Country) Pick 5 | Sydney
 Zippy Fish (South Fremantle / Western Australia) Pick 6 | Carlton
 Poppy Scholz (Glenelg / South Australia) Pick 7 | West Coast
 Lou Painter (Bendigo Pioneers / Vic Country) Pick 8 | Western Bulldogs 
Emma McDonald (Oakleigh Chargers / Vic Metro) Pick 9 | Essendon
 Grace Belloni (Eastern Ranges / Vic Metro) Pick 10 | Geelong 
Lexi Gregor (Bendigo Pioneers / Vic Country) Pick 11 | Richmond
 Sierra Grieves (Western Jets / Vic Metro) Pick 12 | Essendon
 Holly Ridewood (Northern Knights / Vic Metro) Pick 13 | Adelaide
 India Rasheed (Sturt / South Australia) Pick 14 | Fremantle
 Georgie Brisbane (Eastern Ranges / Vic Metro) Pick 15 | Hawthorn
 Lavinia Cox (Bendigo Pioneers / Vic Metro) Pick 16 | Brisbane 
Claudia Wright (Claremont / Western Australia) Pick 17 | Carlton (BID MATCHED)
 Sophie McKay (Sandringham Dragons / Vic Metro) Pick 18 | Geelong
 Sienna Tallariti (Oakleigh Chargers / Vic Metro) Pick 19 | Port Adelaide
 Lily Paterson (Swan Districts / Western Australia) Pick 20 | Richmond 
Zoe Hargreaves (Northern Knights / Vic Metro) Pick 21 | Melbourne 
Maggie Mahony (Oakleigh Chargers / Vic Metro) Pick 22 | GWS
 Grace Martin (WWT Eagles / South Australia) Pick 23 | Hawthorn
 Daisy Flockart (Sandringham Dragons / Vic Metro) Pick 24 | West Coast
 Charlotte Riggs (Central District / South Australia) Pick 25 | Western Bulldogs 
Sarah Poustie (Oakleigh Chargers / Vic Metro) Pick 26 | Collingwood
 Georgia Knight (Eastern Ranges / Vic Metro) Pick 27 | Gold Coast
 Heidi Talbot (Gold Coast Suns Academy / Queensland) Pick 28 | Hawthorn
 Grace Baba (Eastern Ranges / Vic Metro) Pick 29 | Gold Coast (BID MATCHED)
 Mia Salisbury (Gold Coast Suns Academy / Queensland) Pick 30 | Essendon
 Taya Chambers (East Fremantle / Western Australia) Pick 31 | Richmond
 Paige Scott (Essendon AFLW) Pick 32 | St Kilda
 Zoe Besanko (Dandenong Stingrays / Vic Country) Pick 33 | Port Adelaide
 Jasmine Evans (Central District / South Australia) Pick 34 | Fremantle
 Holly Egan (Murray Bushrangers / Vic Country) Pick 35 | Essendon
 Sophie Strong (Tasmania Devils / Tasmania) Pick 36 | North Melbourne Claire Mahony (GWV Rebels / Vic Country) Pick 37 | Geelong
 Piper Dunlop (Geelong VFLW / Victoria) Pick 38 | Fremantle
 Evie Parker (Eastern Ranges / Vic Metro) Pick 39 | Brisbane
 Lilly Baker (Brisbane Lions Academy / Queensland) Pick 40 | Port Adelaide
 Jemma Charity (North Adelaide / South Australia) Pick 41 | Gold Coast
 Nyalli Milne (Gold Coast Suns Academy / Queensland) Pick 42 | Collingwood (BID MATCHED)
 Violet Patterson (Glenelg / South Australia) Pick 43 | North Melbourne
 Amy Gavin Mangan (Offaly LGFA) Pick 44 | Adelaide
 Georgia McKee (Central District / South Australia) Pick 45 | Hawthorn
 Elli Symonds (Dandenong Stingrays / Vic Country) Pick 46 | Carlton 
Lou-Lou Field (Western Jets / Vic Metro) Pick 47 | Gold Coast
 Tara Harrington (Gold Coast Suns Academy / Queensland) Pick 48 | Port Adelaide
 Chloe Gaunt (Brisbane Lions Academy / Queensland) Pick 49 | Western Bulldogs
 Keeley Hardingham (Western Bulldogs VFLW / Victoria) Pick 50 | Hawthorn
 Rebecca Clottey (Geelong Falcons / Vic Country) Pick 51 | Fremantle
 Indi Strom (South Fremantle / Western Australia) Pick 52 | Port Adelaide
 Jasmine Sowden (Gippsland Power / Vic Country) Pick 53 | West Coast 
Lucy Boyd (West Adelaide / South Australia) Pick 54 | St Kilda
 Kyla Forbes (Calder Cannons / Vic Metro) Pick 55 | Sydney
 Amelia Martin (Sydney Swans Academy / NSW/ACT) Pick 56 | West Coast
 Kayla Dalgleish (Dandenong Stingrays / Vic Country) Pick 57 | St Kilda
 Alana Gee (Gold Coast AFLW / Queensland) Pick 58 | Sydney
 Caitlin Reid (East Coast Eagles / NSW/ACT) Pick 59 | Sydney
 Sarah Steele-Park (North Adelaide / South Australia) Pick 60 | Melbourne
 Amelia Dethridge (Crosscoder)

AFLW Draft | No.63 | Amelia Dethridge “Dethridge comes to the Dees with a plethora of accolades in the hockey, cross-country and swimming worlds. 

“She has been named in the Victorian hockey team on 11 occasions since U12s, secured National qualifications for swimming across three years and was among the National cross-country champions in 2019 and 2020. 

“The 18-year-old grew up playing football through Auskick and U8s for the East Brighton Vampires, before returning to the sport during year 10, 11 and 12 through school competitions.” Melbourne AFLW List Manager Todd Patterson: “She's a powerful athlete and a great endurance runner.” 
“She also has skills for someone who hasn't played the game, which gives us a really good foundation to work.”

AFLW Draft | No.21 | Maggie Mahony

AFLW Draft | No.3 | Molly O’Hehir

An indoor hockey player from Lauriston Girls School. The last pick of the night and a real smokey.

From the Oakleigh Chargers - another midfielder. A real ball magnet. “A competitive onballer who thrives on the inside with a high running capacity and elite defensive pressure, while being able to go forward and impact the scoreboard.”

From South Fremantle - a strong 179cm tall midfielder. ”“South Fremantle’s Molly O’Hehir is one of those players with a glass ceiling. For a player of her size and athleticism, it is rare that she can also be a potent user of the ball and do so much damage on-field wherever she plays.”

Family day at Gosch’s Paddock

I'd be keen to turn the tables on the Dockers when we play them this year. Our performances against them were abysmal this year including the Alice Springs game when we had most of our team intact.

These were the top-ten highest paid players for 2024 according to Zero Hanger. What it shows us is how badly affected the Demons were by injury this year with Christian Petracca missing the last half of the season and Clayton Oliver coming off a limited pre season and carrying multiple injuries throughout the year.

Channel 7 opened in 1956 in readiness for the Melbourne Olympics but Australian Football was its main sport in the early days. After a bit of chopping and changing, the channel regained the TV rights and it mainly shares telecasting with the Fox Network. This doco was made in 2001 for grand final week.

The days with modern scientific coaching methods, the coaches will keep the players well hydrated and they will most certainly train tomorrow. Imagine how we would look if we called off training and all of the other clubs trained? The media and supporters of other clubs would have a field day.

Davo-27 in bigfooty has nominated 77 kids to watch next year starting with his early prediction of the top 5 prospects:- 1. Dyson Sharp (SA) (pick 1 favourite) 2. Fred Rodriguez (WA) 3. Riley Onley (VC) 4. Oliver Greeves (VM) 5. Zeke Uwland (Allies) VICTORIA Oliver Greeves 191cm Eastern VIC Thomas McGuane (Coll FS) 177cm Western VIC Lachlan Dovaston 176cm Eastern VIC Sam Grlj 182cm Oakleigh VIC Jack Dalton 177cm Sand VIC Cooper Duff-Tytler 199cm Calder VIC Felix Kneipp 177cm Calder VIC Riley Onley 194cm Murray VIC Archie Ludowyke 195cm Sand VIC Willem Duursma 191cm Gippsland VIC Noah Hibbins-Hargreaves 185cm Dand VIC Josh Lindsay 182cm Geelong VIC Louis Emmett 198cm Oakleigh VIC Giuseppe Posterino 176cm Geelong VIC Thomas Burton 178cm Western VIC Xavier Bamert 184cm Sand VIC Mitch Moate 180cm Northern VIC Jamie Gilchrist 185cm Eastern VIC Tairon Ah-Mu 198cm Dand VIC Jobe Scapin 186cm Gipps VIC Zach O'Keefe 177cm Gipps VIC Jasper Russell 176cm Dand VIC Sam Lewis 186cm Dand VIC Harry Morphet 175cm Geelong VIC Sam Allen 184cm Oakleigh VIC Ben Rongdit (Geel NGA) 183cm Geelong VIC Xavier Taylor 191cm Eastern VIC Harley Hicks 178cm GWV VIC Hunter Wright 187cm Bendigo VIC Isaac Dugdale 179cm Northern VIC Aaron Sharkie 182cm Oakleigh VIC Callum Smith 190cm Oakleigh VIC Charlie Whitehead 191cm Oakleigh VIC Kobe Williams (Haw FS/WB NGA) 185cm Western VIC Tyson Gresham 168cm Northern VIC WESTERN AUSTRALIA Fred Rodriguez 183cm Sth Frem WA Cody Curtin 197cm Clarem WA Basil Hart (Frem NGA) 183cm Peel WA Blake Kelly 182cm Swan Dist WA Marcus Cassidy 186cm East Perth WA Jadd Hill 176cm Perth WA Taj Longmuir 179cm South Frem WA Toby Whan (Frem NGA) 182cm South Frem WA Sam Swadling 187cm West Perth WA Charlie Banfield (WCE FS) 188cm Clarem WA Darcy Montgomery 191cm Subiaco WA Wes Walley (WCE NGA) 181cm Subiaco WA Koby Evans (WCE NGA) 186cm Perth WA Will York 172cm Peel WA Kaiden Summerall 179cm East Frem WA Amon Ross 177cm West Perth WA SOUTH AUSTRALIA Dyson Sharp 188cm Central Dist SA Sam Cumming 184cm South Adel SA Blake Oudshoorn-Bennier 182cm North Adel SA Noah Roberts-Thomson 180cm Sturt SA Aidan Schubert 194cm Central Dist SA Louis Kellaway (Rich FS) 182cm Sturt SA Jim Kelly 178cm Norwood SA Jesse Nye 179cm South Adel SA Lachlan Sands 179cm WWT SA Harley Barker 187cm Sturt SA Blake Thredgold 193cm Sturt SA Jeff Rozenbilds 177cm Norwood SA Will Prescott 180cm Norwood SA Josh Reichelt 180cm Central Dist SA Luke Candy 183cm Glenlg SA ALLIES Zeke Upland (GCS Academy) 178cm GCS Qld Daniel Annable (Brisbane Academy) 183cm Bris Qld Ryder Corrigan 185cm (GWS Academy?) Murray NSW Dylan Patterson (GCS Academy) 183cm GCS Qld Beau Addinsall (GCS Academy) 180cm GCS Qld Liam Hetherton 195cm Murray NSW Noah Chamberlain (Sydney Academy) 192cm Syd A NSW Lachlan Carmichael (Sydney Academy) 183cm Syd A NSW Kalani White (Melbourne FS/GCS Academy) 198cm GCS Qld Max King (Sydney Academy) 191cm Syd NSW Jack Harrison Bris QLD

Sure, that record doesn’t look good but we usually do them over in grand finals. I look forward to us repeating the dose as soon as possible.

Merbein has proved to be a great recruiting ground for the club. In addition to Harold Ball and Hassa Mann, the late Colin Sylvia also came from Merbein.

The club socials have put up some pictures of the group hard it with Saturday morning sprint training and a bit of a run as well. I wasn’t there myself but if the intensity was at the same level as last week’s Saturday session then it suggests that we have a great deal to look forward to in the coming season.

Reported in today’s Herald Sun Additional reporting in the on line edition refers to Daniel’s legal action against Heaney.

Mark Heaney has been named in an action instituted against him and the Sydney Swans over alleged sexual abuse of a trainee academy player more than a decade ago. Hopefully, the outcome will bring justice to the unnamed player as well as to former Demon rookie Daniel Hayes. I hope that Daniel is doing well and knows that he has our support and good wishes.