2016 AFL preview: Melbourne Demons' best 22

For Melbourne, 2015 was yet another losing season as they finished 13th on the ladder with a 7-15 record. There were some positives along the way but, as always with the Demons, some negatives to go with them.

When the Dees played well last season, they were able to knock off teams such as Geelong, Richmond, Collingwood and the Western Bulldogs.

Two of those teams made the finals while the other two were fighting for finals contention, which proved Melbourne can hang with the AFL’s better teams.

Melbourne’s improvement, however, was marred by a handful of poor performances that showed the Demons are still a long way away from competing for a finals spot. Losses to Carlton, St Kilda and Essendon showed Melbourne still struggle against the bottom teams.

Most concerning was the size of some of the Dees other defeats though. The Demons lost to Fremantle 118-50 and 108-54, Hawthorn 155-50, West Coast 114-60 and in their second meeting with the Bulldogs they lost 153-55.

These defeats are holding the Demons back.

They are covering what is a pretty decent squad on paper, which should be improved this season with the acquisitions of Jake Melksham, Thomas Bugg and number four draft pick Clayton Oliver.

Melksham and Bugg should help hold down a fairly inconsistent back-line. Melksham brings an edge and a sense of toughness from the Bombers and his run off the half-back flanks should be a welcome sign after the inconsistent form of Heritier Lumumba last season.

Melksham has been criticised for his poor ball use but he went at a 68.6 per cent disposal efficiency percentage last season, which isn’t a horrible number.

Bugg, one of Greater Western Sydney’s more hyped-up young players, comes to Melbourne after an up and down four years with the Giants. After a great first season in 2012, Bugg fell off a little bit in 2013 and 2014 but regained some form last season, averaging 16 disposals a game and flashing glimpses of the potential that made him such a hot name when he was recruited.

The Giants used Bugg as a tagger at times but the Demons should be able to unlock his full potential.

In Oliver, Melbourne have drafted a ball-magnet, as he averaged 24 disposals a game for the Murray Bushrangers last season and he used those possessions at a 70 per cent efficiency rating.

Oliver also averaged six clearances a game as he worked in and under the packs. He makes up for his lack of quickness with determination and a sense of toughness. Oliver can also float up forward as a scoring threat, booting 20 goals from 16 games with the Bushrangers last season, which is an indication of his versatility as a footballer.

Oliver, Bugg and Melksham all bring different elements to the Demons and the trio should be able to establish themselves in the best 22 throughout the season.

Best 22
B: Neville Jetta, Tom McDonald, Colin Garland
HB: Jake Melksham, Lynden Dunn, Heriter Lumumba
C: Dom Tyson, Nathan Jones, Angus Brayshaw
HF: Jack Watts, Chris Dawes, Aaron vandenBerg
F: Jeff Garlett, Jesse Hogan, Dean Kent
Foll: Max Gawn, Bernie Vince, Jack Viney
INT: Christian Salem, Christian Petracca, Thomas Bugg, Clayton Oliver

MVP: Bernie Vince
Vince has always been a consistent force in both Adelaide’s and Melbourne’s midfield throughout his career but he took his game to the next level last season, taking out the Demons’ best and fairest award.

Vince was a machine in midfield last season as he averaged 24.7 disposals, 14.6 kicks, 10.1 handballs, 4.8 tackles and 2.7 marks per game, the best numbers of his career. He had three games last season where he had 38 disposals, in Rounds 11, 12 and 23, as he established himself as one of the most consistent players in the AFL. Vince had a monstrous 2015 season and expect him to continue that form into 2016.

Future Star: Jesse Hogan
This one is easy. Hogan was an absolute machine last season as he established himself as one of the league’s most dominant forwards in only a matter of weeks into his career. Last season, Hogan ranked first among rising stars in goals, contested marks (third in contested marks for the entire league), marks and marks inside 50.

His 44 goals ranked 17th in the league and his sky-high potential led to Collingwood skipper Scott Pendlebury proclaiming he wouldn’t be surprised if Hogan kicks 100 goals in 2016. While that may be a bit of stretch, there is no denying Hogan’s amazing talent level and the scary thing is that he can only get better.

Make or Break: Heritier Lumumba
After a fairly controversial move to the Demons from the Pies in the 2014 off-season, Lumumba was a mixed bag in 2015. There were some games where he showed how good he can be off the half-back line, such as his 25-disposal, seven-tackle, four-mark effort in Round 3 against the Crows. But those performances were few and far between.

Lumumba averaged just 14.2 disposals per game, his lowest output since the 2008 season but a positive was his 76.7 per cent disposal efficiency rating. The aforementioned Melksham and Bugg have the ability to play off the half-back flanks, so Lumumba needs a big season to hold down and secure his spot in the Dees’ best 22.