By Kane Cornes
Melbourne have created their own demons – and now they are set to enter football’s version of hell.
A drought-breaking premiership has been followed by consecutive straight-set exits from finals, and now no finals action at all.
Three years after their premiership win, the Melbourne Demons appear to be in freefall.Credit: Jamie Brown
The slide points to a bleak future at the Demons.
The player list is ageing and lacking depth. For all the denials, the club’s culture is questionable, as is the professionalism of a team that only three seasons ago appeared on the verge of a dynasty.
Coach Simon Goodwin’s game style has become predictable and boring.
“Contest and defence” are his repetitive catchcries, but he has been unable to fix the glaring issues on ball movement and scoring that have been so obvious in the past three seasons.
Melbourne need to confront the reality that they are about to fall off the cliff and become irrelevant in the premiership race.
Just a little more than 16,000 fans turned up to see the Demons lose to the Giants by four points in round 20. The AFL will surely downgrade the club when it releases the fixture for next year. Gone will be the primetime slots, meaning the crowds will only get smaller.
Goodwin is not the only one to blame for the failure to maximise a once-powerful list. A series of questionable list-management decisions have left the club in a hole.
1. Clayton Oliver’s contract
Melbourne in 2022 – a year before Clayton Oliver fell out of contract – extended the troubled midfielder’s deal until the end of 2030.
Clayton Oliver looked forlorn after Friday’s loss to the Western Bulldogs.Credit: Getty Images
Since re-signing, with his financial future guaranteed, Oliver has been nothing but a distraction. Last season was tumultuous – he managed only 15 games, missing 10 with a hamstring injury and a serious foot infection.
His altercation with the club’s head of strength and conditioning, Selwyn Griffith, created unwanted headlines.
The Demons had to deny they put Oliver up for trade at the end of 2023, but they did demand he meet their expected standards.
His hospital visit with an unexplained medical episode in October and departure from a pre-season training camp in December only fuelled concerns.
Despite the interrupted pre-season, Oliver surprised many by lining up in the opening round against Sydney, and has played 20 games this year.
However, he is a shadow of his best, and his performance has declined in every key midfield statistic.
The decision to lock him into a long-term deal now was a significant error that will chew up the club’s salary cap and heap pain for years to come.
2. Trading Brodie Grundy
Trading dual All-Australian ruckman Brodie Grundy to premiership contender Sydney for a mere pick No.46 and a future second-round selection was another glaring error.
It was a gift for the ladder-leading Swans.
After also losing Luke Jackson in 2022 to Fremantle, the Demons failed to secure a reliable back-up for 33-year-old skipper Max Gawn, who has been plagued by injuries this season.
Although Sydney’s form has nosedived, they are still top of the ladder, and Brodie Grundy has been a valuable pick-up for them after his solitary season at Melbourne.Credit: Getty Images
The absence of a competent replacement has exposed the team, forcing forwards Harrison Petty and Jacob Van Rooyen to play in the ruck, with disastrous results.
3. Keeping Harrison Petty
During the last trade period, Adelaide reportedly offered Melbourne two first-round picks for key forward Harrison Petty.
Adelaide denied these reports, but it is clear the offer was significant. Melbourne should have jumped at the deal and sent Petty packing to Adelaide.
Petty recently signed a contract extension with Melbourne but has failed to make a significant impact this season, and is lucky to be selected each week.
He has kicked six goals from 17 games in 2024, and the decision not to trade him and exploit Adelaide’s desperation when his value was at its peak was a grand opportunity missed.
4. Angus Brayshaw’s Contract
Extending Angus Brayshaw’s deal by six years midway through 2022, despite his known concussion issues, was a risky move that tragically backfired.
Brayshaw’s career was always on a knife edge because of his history of concussions. In February, he was forced into retirement after scan results showed “microscopic changes” in his brain after a concussion in last year’s qualifying final.
Melbourne now face the financial burden of paying out more than $3 million owed to Brayshaw.
5. Losing depth
Allowing 23-year-old midfielder James Jordon to leave for Sydney as a free agent and James Harmes to join the Western Bulldogs has further weakened Melbourne’s squad.
The Demons’ depth has been exposed this season, especially with injuries to key players such as Christian Petracca and Gawn, coupled with Brayshaw’s retirement.
Jordon, has become an important player for the Swans, and his departure has left a noticeable gap in the team’s depth.
There is already talk that Melbourne will trade for contracted Port Adelaide defender Dan Houston at season’s end and try to top up with experienced stars.
As Richmond found out with its calamitous trades for Tim Taranto and Jacob Hopper, this tactic can sensationally backfire.
No coach will be under more pressure than Goodwin next season.
The club leaders must communicate the strategy they will adopt from here.
Is it time for a rebuild? Do they still believe they can win the premiership while Gawn and Petracca have good football left in them? How do they intend to get Oliver back to being an effective player? Are they still in denial about the cultural concerns at the club, and is this the reason for the failure on the field?
All signs point to Melbourne entering an inferno that will test who can handle the heat. Already, it appears the fans are again preferring to cool themselves on the snowfields.
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