AFL preview series: Melbourne Demons - 6th

Surely it’s time. It has to be. It must be. Melbourne are going to return to the finals for the first time since… whenever it was.

The internet wasn’t around back then; the only records of it are being preserved in a vacuum-sealed chamber.

The Western Bulldogs won a premiership. Richmond won a flag. Richmond! Surely the Demons can do something simple like play a final in this new world order.

They bloody well should. Anything less will only be categorised as an underwhelming disappointment, and the club will be in disarray.

B: Neville Jetta Oscar McDonald Christian Salem
HB: Jayden Hunt Jake Lever Michael Hibberd
C: Angus Brayshaw Clayton Oliver Jordan Lewis
HF: Christian Petracca Jesse Hogan Mitch Hannan
F: Jeff Garlett Tom McDonald Alex Neal-Bullen
Foll: Max Gawn Nathan Jones Jack Viney
Int: Dom Tyson Sam Frost Jake Melksham Bernie Vince
Em: Cameron Pedersen James Harmes Bailey Fritsch

This is a good looking football side, with weapons across most lines.

The midfield is the engine room, with Jack Viney and Clayton Oliver set to lead the way at the coalface for the best part of a decade together. Max Gawn is in the top handful of ruckmen in the competition, and if everyone is at their best he’s probably number one. He’s a master technician in his tapwork, but is at his best when owning the field with physical presence in marking contests.

Viney and Oliver at Gawn’s feet both crave body contact in all its forms on a football field – if they’re not getting hit while their hands are on the footy, they’ll go looking for it.

As the two young bulls have taken up the clearance cudgels, Nathan Jones has gradually become a more outside player. The same can be said for Dom Tyson too, but whether he’s suited to a role requiring more precise disposal remains to be seen. The likes of Billy Stretch and Corey Maynard would be eyeing this spot.

Angus Brayshaw will hopefully get a chance to prove what he can do after just 15 games in the last two years.

Jordan Lewis adds experience and gravitas but many Melbourne supporters would like to see him pushed out of the side, claiming that his output does not match his reputation.

Another senior member, Bernie Vince, may also feel some selection heat as the year progresses. If the Dees are going well enough to have these two playing VFL, they are a certainty to rise.

For the moment, however, the midfield is a neat mix of youth and experience, but it’s hard to shake the feeling that it’s missing something.

That something is Christian Petracca.

(AAP Image/Julian Smith)

Every club would love to have the next Dustin Martin or Patrick Dangerfield, but Melbourne is the only one that has the heir apparent. Petracca has the skill set to match feats with the superstar duo, and we can look forward to a midfield-forward split that allows him to wreak the most havoc.

The Demons weren’t the heaviest scoring team of 2017, but they did have an eight-game mid-season stretch where they averaged 104 points per game, which is extremely healthy.

This year, they should have the services of Jesse Hogan for the entire season after he endured a torrid 2017, and he’ll set his sights on 50 goals. Tom McDonald moved forward last year to great effect, and can also push up for 40 goals plus. Out of nowhere, a formidable key forward duo has emerged.

Jeff Garlett was in the All-Australian conversation as a forward pocket last season, but has been known to mix his form from year to year. Alex Neale-Bullen is another pressure player that is trending in the right direction, one of the most improved players at Melbourne last year.

Bailey Fritsch has made a bit of a name for himself over the pre-season, and plays taller than he is. He and Mitch Hannan might be playing for the same spot, both what we’d call ‘moment’ players, rather than four quarter contributors.

Jake Melksham might have finally found his niche in the half-forward group in the second half of 2017, driving the ball in with pace and length.

Down back, Jake Lever has been brought over from Adelaide, but has hopefully left his grand final scars behind. He’s one of the best interceptors in the league when given free reign, and will be at his optimum when played as the third tall, assuming Oscar McDonald and Sam Frost play the key positions. These latter two can play smaller if required, if opposition sides commit to a small-ball approach.

They’ll be a tall trio that is hard to break down, the more they play together.

Neville Jetta is a professional back pocket, while the rebound and drive will be led by Michael Hibberd, fresh off an All-Australian season. Jayden Hunt has the speed to break open games, and Christian Salem has the poise to make every possession count. It is really time for him to stand up.

(AAP Image/Tracey Nearmy)

The latter two could also be moved to the wings at different stages, to provide a bit more class in the middle of the ground. The Dees don’t get enough value for money from their forward 50 entries, and no longer have Jack Watts, who was their best user through half-forward.

It’s the one area Melbourne is still lacking, and will surely be addressed through trading or the draft at season’s end.

Melbourne won the equal fourth most quarters of any club in 2017. Twelve wins and a ninth-placed finish tell us the gap between their best and worst was too great. Too many matches thrown away.

They lost to Fremantle at the MCG by two points after conceding a seven-goal third quarter. A four-goal lead against Richmond in the final term was frittered away. A three-point loss to Hawthorn after allowing them a 27-point quarter time lead. Losing to North Melbourne twice. Twice!

But the big one for Dees fans was in Round 23. Rocking up to their Saturday afternoon match against Collingwood knowing a win would secure them a finals berth, they were entitled to expect a fierce opening. Instead, they saw the limpest possible opening term, and a 32-point deficit at the first break. It still burns a fiery rage within the Demon faithful. Do the players feel the same?

We’ll know soon enough how much it means, when Melbourne faces off against Geelong first up in the match of Round 1. A win there, followed by games against Brisbane and North, would see a 3-0 start and a season set up for September action.

If the Dees are serious, they’ll be 6-3 at absolute worst by Round 9. From there, they get to make the running.

Melbourne has the talent. They certainly believe they are good enough. But do they have the resilience when things aren’t going their way? It’s the last piece of the puzzle.

Prediction – sixth

Cam Rose’s AFL ladder prediction
6: Melbourne Demons
7: Greater Western Sydney
8. Essendon
9. Hawthorn
10. Collingwood
11. Western Bulldogs
12. St Kilda
13. West Coast
14. North Melbourne
15. Fremantle
16. Brisbane
17. Carlton
18. Gold Coast