Jack Viney return to push Angus Brayshaw back to a wing
Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin is frustrated by speculation over the future of Angus Brayshaw but the Demons hard nut is set to be pushed out of the centre square again against Collingwood.
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Melbourne’s Angus Brayshaw will again have to make room for Jack Viney in the Demons’ centre square operations for Saturday’s clash against Collingwood.
Viney will return to the midfield mix but the Demons’ ruck problems have continued with first-year tall Luke Jackson suffering a hamstring problem.
Jackson was slated to play ruck to cover Max Gawn — who is dealing with a posterior cruciate ligament injury – but will miss several weeks.
Brayshaw had the best game of his season in the Demons’ big win over North Melbourne on Sunday night, racking up 29 possessions as Viney missed with concussion.
Brayshaw attended a club-high 19 centre bounces against the Roos, seven more than his season average, according to Champion Data.
The hard nut flourished in the onball role against North, fuelling discussion Brayshaw is best suited to play inside the centre square.
Brayshaw is widely considered to be more damaging with the ball than Viney as rival clubs consider making a play for either of the two star prime movers.
But Brayshaw again looks set to have to spend more time out on the wing against the Magpies to allow Viney to play a defensive onball role against Collingwood.
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Viney could get a job on Taylor Adams or Scott Pendlebury as the superstar captain pushes to return from a quad strain. Pendlebury has trained fully this week.
Viney was superb in the club’s win over Adelaide and helps provide some important defensive coverage at the centre bounces, which allows Clayton Oliver and Christian Petracca to play more aggressively.
But Melbourne will be confident Brayshaw can continue to have a major impact on games from the wing, where he finished third in the 2018 Brownlow Medal.
Coach Simon Goodwin has been frustrated by the speculation about Brayshaw and his future but lauded the 24-year-old for his performance against the Roos.
“I gave (Brayshaw) added responsibility last week and I thought he stood up (against Adelaide), and (he had) even more leadership stuff (against the Roos),” Goodwin said.
“He continues to improve and grow his game. He’s an outstanding footballer, he’s a smart footballer and he continues to get better.
“He’s, obviously, much talked about, Angus, but he’s also much-loved by us and he’s going to be a really strong player for our footy club for a long time.”
HOW WEID IS LEADING DEMON FIGHTBACK
- Sam Landsberger
Here is a trivia question.
Geelong monster Tom Hawkins is clearly the best one-on-one mark inside 50m. From Rounds 6-11 who is the second best?
Is it Charlie Dixon? Perhaps Dustin Martin? What about Josh Kennedy?
Wrong. It is Melbourne’s Sam Weideman.
In fact, since coach Simon Goodwin finally bit the bullet and played Weideman in Round 6, there have been few more productive forwards in the game.
A Coleman Medal table across the past five rounds has Weideman sitting equal-third with St Kilda’s Dan Butler (12 goals), behind only Hawkins (16) and Kennedy (18).
When defenders Jake Lever and Steven May discussed the Dees’ 57-point win against North Melbourne their attention quickly turned to their best key forward and the fact he couldn’t get a game not so long ago.
Former coach Terry Wallace reckons Melbourne has stunted Weideman’s development by denying him selection and the man himself was annoyed to spend the first five games on the sidelines.
After all, of the six key forwards taken in the first 16 picks of the 2015 draft, Weideman would be behind Charlie Curnow (58 games, 77 goals), Harry McKay (41 games, 57 goals), Eric Hipwood (86 games, 129 goals) and Harry Himmelberg (75 games, 89 goals) and in front of only Josh Schache (56 games, 68 goals).
But at 23 and with 38 goals from 37 games under his belt “The Weid” is starting to blossom.
The 195cm marking target booted six goals in the 2018 finals in what appeared to be a breakout September.
He then missed eight games with three separate injuries last year and it is this season where every minute he spends in a Melbourne jumper he looks more at home at full-forward.
“We really like Weideman and (No.3 pick Luke) Jackson and their ability to compete aerially,” Goodwin said.
“They’re starting to get some rewards. Sam’s worked really hard on his game and he’s starting to hit the scoreboard.”
This year Weideman is averaging an elite three marks inside 50m.
While All-Australian Harris Andrews got him in Round 8, the No.9 draft pick has booted multiple goals against Sam Collins (Gold Coast), James Frawley (Hawthorn), Tom Clurey (Port Adelaide), Fisher McAsey (Adelaide) and Ben McKay (North Melbourne).
Importantly, he is giving the Dees bang for buck when they go inside 50m.
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Since 2019 the disconnect between Melbourne’s midfielders and forwards has seen Goodwin’s team plummet down the ladder as hundreds of entries have gone unrewarded.
Weideman is now helping the Demons bank their “money kick”.
No longer is Clayton Oliver one of the worst ball users going inside 50m while Jack Viney, Angus Brayshaw and Ed Langdon have also hit more targets in front of goal.
Those close to Brayshaw are certain he is a pure inside midfielder and wonder whether he should consider changing clubs if Goodwin doesn’t believe there is room for him and Viney in the same midfield.
Goodwin said the most pleasing part of the mini-resurgence at Adelaide Oval was the defence as the Demons become increasingly harder to score against.
And that is feeding Weideman and the offence.
On Sunday night the Demons outscored North Melbourne on turnovers by 50 points, which was their best return since Round 20, 2018.
Against weaker opposition the Dees’ game plan has seemingly started to click back together.
And with Weideman booting goals and the turnover game firing it is, finally, beginning to look like 2018 once again.