Gary Buckenara analyses Melbourne’s list after the 2017 season

DOES snaring Jake Lever put Melbourne into premiership calculations? Recruiting expert Gary Buckenara takes a close look at the Demons playing stocks. LIST ANALYSIS

Jack Watts with Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin.

MELBOURNE will view 2017 as a lost opportunity and a lost year, and that means making finals in 2018 is a non-negotiable.

Two years ago in my list analysis column on the Demons I predicted the club would play finals in 2017, and they should have. The club would be bitterly disappointed in the way its season ended after showing huge promise and at times being considered one of the teams in the mix to win the premiership.

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The pain of missing the eight should drive this young and talented group over the pre-season and I hope the players watched the finals series thinking: “That should have been us.”

The final-round loss to Collingwood should provide a tough lesson for all players, including the leaders, that nothing is handed to you in the AFL. You must earn it.

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There is huge upside for Melbourne though heading into 2018. The club didn’t have a lot of luck with injury given key duo Max Gawn and Jesse Hogan spent half the season on the sidelines, while Nathan Jones (16 games), Christian Salem (16) and Jack Watts (16) also missed a number of games through both injury and form.

Jack Viney was also a key loss in the final two rounds with his leadership and grunt work.

Had those six or so players played two or three more games this year then the Demons probably would have played finals.

Putting that aside and moving forward, the Melbourne Football Club is poised to be a finalist. Is it poised to be a Grand Finalist? Only time will tell, but I have my doubts.

Jake Lever has landed at Melbourne. Picture: Sarah Reed

Sam Weideman’s development is critical to Melbourne’s fortunes. Picture: Michael Klein

The development of young forward Sam Weideman is critical. I think he can be a star, he reminds me a lot of Matthew Pavlich, but he needs to take big steps forward next year and become a regular senior player in his third season on the list.

There are young guns everywhere and that’s why the Demons should at the very least finally break their finals drought in 2018.

Christian Petracca will be even better with another pre-season under his belt, Clayton Oliver’s development has been amazing, but he’ll face more opposition attention next year and that comes with its challenges for such a young player, Viney will be even better, Jayden Hunt will have another pre-season after a breakout year, Oscar McDonald is coming really nicely and Tom McDonald added the forward string to his bow.

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Angus Brayshaw has the potential to be a really nice player if he can get some luck and continuity in his footy, the same goes for Salem, and Dom Tyson is handy.

Combine those guys with a fit Gawn and Hogan, Nathan Jones, Jordan Lewis, Jeff Garlett, Michael Hibberd was an outstanding addition through smart trading and even Jake Melksham played a crucial role at times.

It’s a talented group.

The Demons have secured Jake Lever in a trade from Adelaide and he’ll be a nice addition to the backline as that intercept-marking player, which is so critical in the modern game. He is a third defender, not really a key-position player despite being 195cm.

What the addition of Lever to Melbourne would do is free up Tom McDonald to play more forward alongside Hogan and potentially be the second ruckman, but that’s not the long-term answer.

Weideman must become that type of player to complete Melbourne’s premiership model, along with the recruitment of Lever, if it happens.

The Demons are keen to trade Jack Watts but what are they going to get for him? Clubs are smart and know it’s likely Melbourne needs to move Watts to free up space in the salary cap, along with the form issues, to accommodate Lever, so will they be willing to take a bit less in a trade?

If that is the case then I’d keep him. He wants to stay and given it’s a work ethic issue maybe this has been the kick up the backside he needed. Watts is more valuable to Melbourne than a late second or third-round draft pick because that’s all I’d be spending on a 26, turning 27-year-old, forward who is still inconsistent and whose work ethic is questionable.

Jack Watts is worth more to the Demons than what they are likely to receive in a trade.

WHAT THEY NEED

The reason I have my doubts over whether this list can be a premiership threat is it needs more star power up forward and a genuine forward/ruckman. Cam Pedersen has filled that forward-ruck role but he’s more of a depth player. Can the Demons find one that performs consistently and really holds the forward structure while Gawn is rucking?

The Demons also need another dynamic small forward who applies forward pressure and has good goal sense. Most teams have at least two of those types of small forwards — look at the success of Hawthorn with Cyril Rioli and Paul Puopolo.

More outside pace and skill to take the pressure and heat off Jayden Hunt would be a real weapon.

This point isn’t so much on-field personnel but Melbourne needs to work on its culture and discipline. Bernie Vince was suspended too many times and committed too many undisciplined acts, Tom Bugg was the same and even Oliver to an extent with his on and off-field antics.

It’s important for clubs to find a balance between playing on the edge and within the boundaries so you’re not missing games or giving away free kicks at critical times. All that adds up and it can be the difference between playing finals or finishing in the top four.

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UNDER THE PUMP

Watts, if he ends up staying, needs to put in a big year both on and off the field, and it all starts this off-season. He must return to the club fit and ready to train hard and long over the summer so he hits Round 1 in peak condition and ready to get back to his best and stand up as in that high half-forward role the Demons require. He had a great season in 2016 but he fell away in 2017 and found himself on the outer over pre-season and late in the year.

The Demons need another small forward. Ben Kennedy and Jay Kennedy-Harris are that type of player but despite strong VFL form weren’t given much of a chance this year. Now Kennedy has been delisted.

Kennedy-Harris is in the same boat. Has been very good at VFL level but played just six games. He will likely seek other opportunities if a rival club is interested.

Jay Kennedy-Harris needs to bring his VFL form to the AFL level. Picture: Colleen Petch

BUCKY’S LIST CHANGES

Heritier Lumumba has retired and Kennedy, Jack Trengove, Jake Spencer, Liam Hulett and rookie Mitch White have been delisted, so that’s five changes to the list already and I doubt there will be many more.

Mitch King is a developing ruckman who hasn’t really come on so the club will decide whether it continues to persist with him or delist him and try to develop another young ruckman.

CRYSTAL BALL

The Demons simply must play finals next year.

There is enough talent and depth on the list to be featuring in September and become a regular finalist for the foreseeable future. I’d expect Melbourne to at least be pushing for a top-four spot in 2019, which would ideally be the first year of its premiership window with its current list.

Originally published as Gary Buckenara analyses Melbourne’s list after the 2017 season