Paul Roos has brought about a massive culture change to the Demons. This has paid dividends truly this season, with Melbourne finishing 11th and challenging top eight sides.
Their standout contributors through the year were Max Gawn, Nathan Jones and Jack Viney.
Max Gawn
His meteoric rise to the top started towards the end of last year but started seriously taking off as this year progressed. Each game he played an invaluable part in assuring, win or lose, he leaves nothing in the tank.
Gawn was rightfully selected as the solitary ruckman in the All-Australian Squad. He averaged an exquisite 42 hitouts-a-game this season, 12 above his career average.
A testing match came in Round 3 after two par performances, when he had to face an in-form Todd Goldstein.
He rose truly to the occasion, with a career best 63 hitouts and 18 touches. That was when he truly announced himself to his doubters.
Other than his creative ruckwork, he averages 14.5 possessions, 8.5 contested at 72 per cent efficiency. These numbers are serviceable for any player let-a-lone a giant ruckman. He uses that height well as well in his pack marking.
He leads Melbourne for that stat with 46 for the season.
Nathan Jones
Jones has endured the depressing lows that the club has experienced over the years, so to see him lead the team with such grit when the club look to be on a long-awaited rise is rewarding.
2016 saw him continue his amazing streak of playing over 20 games for the tenth straight season, showing his perpetual longevity and durability.
The captain had personal bests this year in disposals, metres gained, score involvements, intercept possessions and tackles, partly due to his continual rise as a footballer, but also the fact he has had quality players to help him achieve such a feat.
The midfielder does everything right on the field, leading by example, doing dirty work, getting the one percenters as well as pressure acts.
He is dominant at Melbourne in a host of stats that include disposals (averaging 28), Fantasy Points (averaging 98), tackles (118), Clearances (averaging 5.1) contested possessions (averaging 10.5) and metres gained with 354 per game.
It will come as a surprise that despite his absolute dominance and work ethic, the only stat of those he leads Melbourne for are disposals. It is such a great situation for Melbourne to be in that they are becoming less reliant on his perennial performances.
Jack Viney
A shoe in for the Melbourne’s Best and Fairest in what was unarguably his best ever season which saw him make leaps and bounds in his game. The way he has played this year is like how he played last year when he had a purple-patch, but he did it consistently.
Due to his football awareness, he usually puts the ball in a good position. In saying that, his disposal efficiency is somewhat ordinary at 66 per cent, something he’ll be sure to improve on. If the next captain of the Melbourne Footy Club, is the Jack Viney we saw this year, the Dees are in good stead.
Finishing 11th, any team should be optimistic of making the finals, the following year.
Melbourne have endured an unhurried rise to consistency each year, and should they maintain their growth next year, they are destined to make the top eight
rob
Guest
Yeah and i saw Melbourne finish bottom in 1997 and get 2/3 of their injured team back and make a prelim in 1998. I saw West Coast finish bottom a few years back when they lost a massive wack of their team to injuries and the following year when they all returned fit? Prelim final. Its got as much to do with the players at a coaches disposal and the players Roos had the day he walked into the club were not at AFL level. Hes done a cracking job but only a Melbourne supporter can truely appreciate it.
Mike Huber
Roar Pro
I saw Collingwood get its first wooden spoon in 1976 and then play off in the grand final the following year with the same same side under Tom Hafey . My point - a great coach makes a world of difference , just ask Hawthorn supporters .
The Majestics
Guest
Everyone is entitled to an opinion. Results are what makes or breaks a coach. In Melbourne's case it has been steadying improvement. I for one did not expect Melbourne would make the finals this year. Melbourne's gradual improvement has not surprised me either. However to discuss Melbourne's inability to consistently play a brand of football that would win games on any football field is a work in progress We need not to get caught up in what games Melbourne should, would or could of won but, the overall performance of the team on a win/loss ratio In the case of yesteryear where the team was made up of unknowns in name players that stood out, Melbourne has come a long way and is fiinals bound 2017 and beyond
peter
Guest
Looking at Wins over the three years is not an accurate reflection of the job that Roos has done. Roos began as coach of Melbourne in September 2013, the Demons had just two wins and a percentage of 54.1 Melbourne finished this year with 10 wins (the most in a decade) at 97.6 and probably should have been above 100 if not for the loss to Geelong which was the worst of Roos’ career. He has built a team that averages 92 points increased the pace of their transition, and has built a strong mid-field around Gawn. Importantly Jack Watts is playing good football and with Goodwin stepping in Roos has left a succession plan that can be built on.
Avatar
Roar Guru
Though they did improve this season, as they have every time since 2013 (from two wins in 2013 to four in 2014, seven in 2015 and eleven this year), consistency remains a huge issue, and this was highlighted in losses to Essendon (round two), St Kilda (rounds six and seventeen) and Carlton (round 22). The loss to the Bombers in April was the biggest case about Melbourne not turning up. They went into that match expecting, not wanting, to win, and they paid the price for it. As Neil Craig once said, "we came to play today, we didn't come to perform" (though this quote comes from a completely different match altogether when Melbourne lost to North Melbourne by 122 points in 2013). In my opinion, that result alone cost Melbourne a finals berth. They also ended the season badly, as one commentator pointed out, losing by 111 points to the Geelong Cats at Simonds Stadium in round 23. But should that be read into going into the pre-season and forward? Not according to new coach Simon Goodwin, but other than that who knows.
Mike Huber
Roar Pro
"Paul Roos has brought about a massive culture change to the Demons. This has paid dividends truly this season, with Melbourne finishing 11th and challenging top eight sides." Yes a losing culture at Melbourne . Roos has coached the Demons 66 games for 21 wins , a failure . Roos talks about cultural changes and new practices and protocols him and his assistant have now layed at the club , but unfortunately they haven't equated to success . Melbourne were a disgrace in the last round of the season , getting annilated by 18 goals - that is a sign of very average coaching .