Off-season outlook: Pressure will be on Melbourne and Simon Goodwin to make finals in 2021

After an injury-plagued end to his time at North Melbourne, Ben Brown has a point to prove at Melbourne — and he might just prove the greatest steal of 2020.

Reece Homfray

@reecehomfray

4 min read

December 30, 2020 - 3:33PM

News Corp Australia Sports Newsroom

Melbourne

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Melbourne has failed to take the next step since contesting a preliminary final in 2018 and the spotlight will be on coach Simon Goodwin should the Demons stumble out of the blocks next season.

Can they challenge for the flag?

Reece Homfray looks at the off-season moves, the game plan, the coach, the best 22 and more in our off-season series.

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INS: The Demons have been searching for a key forward to replace Jesse Hogan – who is now onto his third AFL club at GWS – and they hope to have found the answer in Ben Brown. Melbourne landed Brown in the trade period after he kicked 287 goals in seven seasons with the Kangaroos. On the coaching front, club favourite Adem Yze returns to the Demons after gaining extensive experience at Hawthorn under Alastair Clarkson and is a significant in to support Simon Goodwin in the box. Jake Bowey (pick 21), Bailey Laurie (pick 22), Fraser Rosman (pick 34) join from the draft.

OUTS: Mitch Hannan (Western Bulldogs); Braydon Preuss (GWS); Oscar McDonald, Harley Bennell, Kyle Dunkley, Corey Wagner, Josh Wagner (delisted).

Ben Brown will be playing alongside Christian Petracca next season. Picture: AAP

COACH STATUS

Melbourne moved swiftly after its 2018 preliminary final appearance by handing Simon Goodwin a three-year contract extension tying him to the club until 2022. You wonder whether the board had second thoughts in the past two years with the Dees failing to make the finals and slumping as low as 17th in 2019.

Although they rose to ninth in 2020, Goodwin enters the 2021 season under huge pressure and failure to make the finals may draw the curtain on his time early. It was fascinating that Melbourne appointed premiership coach Mark Williams as an assistant at the end of this year. He will provide an experienced sounding board for Goodwin, alongside ex-St Kilda coach Alan Richardson.

Mark Williams has joined the Demons as an assistant coach. Picture: Dean Martin

Adem Yze (right), with coach Simon Goodwin, has returned to the Demons. Picture: Getty Images

GAME PLAN

Pressure and contested ball hasn’t been Melbourne’s problem but it’s what led club legend Garry Lyon to identify a greater problem which he dubbed “red mist”. He believed the Demons midfielders such as Clayton Oliver and Jack Viney — who helped rank them third overall in contested ball — were also part of their undoing because they played that way when they exited stoppage, trying too hard, playing on too much, kicking too quickly and failing to lower eyes or hold possession.

The result was too many turnovers, and the connection between the midfielders and forwards was breaking down. Having addressed that mid-season the Dees won six of their last nine games with Sam Weideman stepping up, and next year he won’t have to play as the main tall with the arrival of Ben Brown. The former North Melbourne might yet prove the steal of the 2020 trade period.

TRADE TABLE REPORT

They had a crack at Hawthorn premiership star Isaac Smith but couldn’t get him in the boat as he headed to Geelong, but at least they managed to get the deal done for Brown. The Demons got the full forward, Pick 28 and a future fourth-rounder in exchange for Picks 26, 33 and a future fourth-round selection. They lost creative forward Mitch Hannan to the Bulldogs for a future third-round pick but the biggest win for the Dees at the trade table was with ruckman Braydon Preuss who has joined the Giants and in return Melbourne got Pick 31 in this year’s draft — superb return given Preuss had only played 10 games in red and blue the last two years.

THEIR 2020 DRAFT HAUL

The Demons landed the son of former St Kilda player Brett Bowey with their first selection. Had Bowey played another 15 games, young Jake Bowey would be wearing Saints colours right now. He is a classy speedster who is also not afraid of getting his hands dirty. With their next pick, the Dees nabbed Oakleigh Chargers small forward Bailey Laurie. They rounded out their draft with Rosman, a 193cm left-footed forward. It is a neat add to last year’s top-end picks Luke Jackson (Pick 3) and Kozzie Pickett (Pick 12).

Jake Bowey was Mellbourne’s first selection in the 2020 draft. Picture: Getty Images

PLAYERS THEY CAN REINVENT

Christian Petracca transformed himself from forward/midfielder to bona fide midfielder and equal third in the Brownlow Medal this year while Adam Tomlinson was recruited as a wingman but found a home in defence. Perhaps the biggest reinvention next season could be Tom McDonald doing a 360-degree turn and returning to the backline alongside Steven May and Jake Lever. McDonald started his career in defence, then moved forward with great effect in 2018, but hasn’t been anywhere near that form since. With Luke Jackson’s emergence, Sam Weideman’s development and Ben Brown’s arrival, it might be a case of back to the future for T-Mac in 2021.

READY TO TAKE THE NEXT STEP

Ed Langdon was slow to get going after arriving at Melbourne from Fremantle but became arguably their most important player in the second half of the season. He finished fourth in the best-and-fairest behind Petracca, Steven May and Jack Viney and if he can go to the next level in 2021 can be in All-Australian contention on the wing. Fellow dashing wingman/defender Jayden Hunt played the last three games of the season and signed a new two-year deal so will be keen to step up and stake a claim for the other regular spot on the wing.