Ultimate player ratings: Jon Ralph and Glenn McFarlane rate every Melbourne player

It’s been a turbulent 12 months for Clayton Oliver, but with the season ahead, can he turn it all around on the field? GLENN MCFARLANE and JON RALPH rate every Demon.

Is Melbourne going to brutalise Max Gawn by the time we get to September?

It is one of the many intriguing questions about the Demons heading into a crucial 2024 season.

The answer might well determine whether Simon Goodwin and his men are serious contenders again or whether they go a third straight season without a finals win.

As disastrous as the Brodie Grundy experiment ended up being for the player himself and for the club last year, at least there was some back-up for the Demons skipper if something went wrong.

Criteria: Prediction of their 2024 performance based on their 2023 season, expected improvement and role in their side.

How will the Dees handle their ruck situation in 2024? Picture: Getty Images

This year there is no safety net underneath the Melbourne high-wire which puts even more pressure on the 32-year-old ruckman, who remains one of the most important players in the competition.

If Gawn happens to be injured at any stage, the back-up options are limited.

Tom Fullarton has been brought in for a reason, but he has had his own issues this pre-season, while the other options are either beanpole kids with a big task ahead of them or forwards who can pinch-hit at stages during matches.

Then again if the veteran Demon does get through the season all clear and is forced to play high percentages of games in the ruck without much of a rest, he could be gassed by the time the finals roll around.

It is a balancing act that Goodwin and his lieutenants will have to navigate through a season that now stretches longer than ever before.

Originally published as Ultimate player ratings: Jon Ralph and Glenn McFarlane rate every Melbourne player