Melbourne has shown what a rebuild looks like, writes Mark Robinson
WHAT Melbourne has been able to accomplish since 2012 has been remarkable. A win or loss against the Power won’t change that fact, writes MARK ROBINSON.
Mark Robinson
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MELBOURNE might lose to Port Adelaide on Saturday night and the commentary will be painfully familiar.
The Demons tease. They’re inconsistent. They’re young. Nothing has changed.
Frankly, that is rubbish.
What Melbourne has been able to accomplish since 2012 has been remarkable. A win or loss against the Power won’t change the fact that it is a club rejuvenation success story.
Basket case to picnic basket.
Of 45 players brought into the club from 2005-11, only eight are still on Melbourne’s list. In a ladder format, that places them equal last with Carlton and St Kilda.
Of 44 players brought into the club from 2012-15, Melbourne has 32 players still in the blue and red. That places the Demons on top of the ladder, ahead of Brisbane (30) and the Saints (29).
All three clubs — Demons, Saints and Lions — have worked wonders to retain their players and restore respect, although the Lions and respect is a work in progress.
It’s too easy — and majorly wrong — to suggest Paul Roos has turned Melbourne around.
He has three more games to coach, Roosy, and one day, when or if Melbourne wins the flag, his time at the club will be seen as the cattle prodder.
But Roos could not have overseen this change without chief executive Peter Jackson, who couldn’t have done it without president Glen Bartlett, who couldn’t have done it without football boss Josh Mahoney, who couldn’t have done it without recruiters Todd Viney and Jason Taylor, who couldn’t have done it without development boss Brendan McCartney, who couldn’t have done it without the attitude, competitiveness and talent of the players.
To ask what comes first, recruiting or development, or who has been more important, Jackson, Roos or Todd Viney, is to ask questions that do not have obvious answers.
Did Melbourne recruit the wrong players from 2005-11, or was lack of development and leadership to blame?
A player from that period, who chose not to be named, said culturally the club was “rooted”.
Strong word, but when he described the environment around the treatment of former captain James McDonald, who was retired, perhaps aren’t strong enough.
He said the club was disjointed, from the executive through to the football department through to the players.
Season after season, Melbourne recruited players who didn’t cut it or who fled the club.
As a rebuild, the Demons have set the blueprint, although they are still to play finals. But at least Melbourne is no longer living on a prayer.
Players chosen with pick No.30 or better included James Frawley (No.12), Ricky Petterd (30), Cale Morton (four), Addam Maric (21), Stef Martin (pre-season draft), Sam Blease (17), James Strauss (19), Tom Scully (priority), Jordan Gysberts (11) and Luke Tapscott (18).
Of the rest, the Jacks — Grimes and Trengove — are battling, Jack Watts is flourishing and former recruiter Barry Prendergast’s greatest get, Max Gawn — taken at pick No.34 in 2009 — is the best ruckman in the league.
Demons fans won’t ever forget the drafting disasters, that quickly became the butt of jokes — the rebuild needed to fix the last rebuild. Boom boom.
Mark Neeld did a lot of things wrong as coach, such as trying to get this team from zero to 100km in one season with a hardline attitude, but he helped strip back the list.
Petterd, Brent Moloney and Martin, for example, were let go on his watch.
Neeld lasted a year and half and then Roos started in 2013.
A year before that, Viney replaced Prendergast — Taylor came on board in 2013 — and the club embarked on a radical and urgent list overhaul.
From the start of 2012, Melbourne has turned over 46 players. Arguably, the Viney-Taylor combo has got one draft pick wrong — Jimmy Toumpas at No.4 in 2012.
But there are late-pick gold nuggets everywhere. What about Dean Kent at No.48, Matt Jones at No.52, Jayden Hunt at No.57, Billy Stretch at No.42, Aaron vandenBerg off the rookie list, Neville Jetta and James Harmes the same and Tom McDonald’s little brother Oscar at No.53?
Under Roos, the strategy was to recruit players who are competitive, resilient, have a strong work ethic and who would listen.
Time and again they would pass at the draft on more talented players who didn’t meet those criteria.
The Demons have nailed it deep in the draft — but recently also early.
There’s been Jack Viney and Jesse Hogan (2012), Dom Tyson and Christian Salem (2013), Christian Petrecca and Angus Brayshaw (2014) and Clayton Oliver and Sam Weideman (2015).
Before any draft selections, the priority was getting the right people in the right jobs and Mahoney, who has held the role of football general manager since mid-2013, has done a terrific job.
Mahoney has more than doubled the development department, which now has seven coaches headed by McCartney, and the emphasis has been to give every player an individual development program.
This has given players confidence and direction, which is the No.1 pillar of development.
Part of the overhaul was to restructure the VFL team — Casey — which is not Melbourne’s team but is coached by Melbourne coaches who coach the Melbourne style. Casey is currently on top of the ladder.
The coaching handover now in progress appears to have been seamless.
Roos, who has provided stability and guidance, has helped coach the club as much as the team and Simon Goodwin is said to be terrific with how he has driven and taught a modern game style that is effective, and let’s be honest, a delight to watch.
Roos’ mandate was to fix the defence and contested ball first and Goodwin has added the attacking dimension.
As a rebuild, the Demons have set the blueprint, although it must be noted, they are still to play finals.
But at least Melbourne is no longer living on a prayer.
YOUNG & GUN
Melbourne’s side that defeated Hawthorn last Saturday was in the bottom three for age and experience
Average age
1. North Melbourne 27.3
2. Geelong 26.8
3. Hawthorn 26.6
4. Fremantle 26
5. St Kilda 25.79
6. West Coast 25.5
7. Carlton 25.4
8. GWS Giants 25.2
9. Essendon 24.9
10. Richmond 24.8
11. Port Adelaide 24.7
12. Sydney 24.7
13. Adelaide 24.6
14. Collingwood 24.6
15. Western Bulldogs 24.2
16. Melbourne 23.5
17. Gold Coast 23.2
18. Brisbane Lions 23
Average games
1. North Melbourne 143
2. Geelong 130
3. Hawthorn 129
4. West Coast 108
5. St Kilda 107
6. Fremantle 104
7. GWS Giants 102
8. Sydney Swans 91
9. Collingwood 90
10. Carlton 90
11. Essendon 86
12. Port Adelaide 83
13. Richmond 83
14. Adelaide Crows 82
15. Western Bulldogs 70
16. Brisbane Lions 66
17. Melbourne 65
18. Gold Coast Suns 61
NB: Round 20 figures
Source: CHAMPION DATA
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