AFL legend Mick Malthouse asks the tough questions of Melbourne after another stuttering season
Every Victorian club has a pocket they own, a brand they live by or a spirit that drives through the club – except for Melbourne. After another wasted season, Mick Malthouse asks what the Demons actually stand for?
Mick Malthouse
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It’s strange, but I can’t put my finger on exactly what Melbourne stands for.
It’s obvious what the Collingwood Football Club stands for — it’s in direct contrast to what Carlton stands for. One is the blue collar, hardworking, against-all-odds club, and the other is the white collar, upper-class, high-achievers’ club.
Remember these are perceived identities, built on the back of long-ago suburban tradition.
Geelong is the out-of-towner, a club for the western district of Victoria. Hawthorn dominates the east and south-east Melbourne support base.
The poor Saints thought they had the south east, but that’s for another day. The Western Bulldogs are Footscray through and through — they are out west and for the working-class. Essendon controls the north west.
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And even North Melbourne, in a small northern area of central Melbourne, has a clear identity as the great Shinboners.
Richmond is the inner-city club built on the hardships of the salt-of-the-earth labourers. As the first club to 100,000 members it is testament to the loyal psyche of its fans.
So where do the Demons fit into all of this? Melbourne had an association with doctors, lawyers and the universities in the 1940s and ’50s, and as long as it was a jolly good game it was enough. It was the nice club.
It had premiership success in the Second World War years and dominated the late 1950s and early ’60s under the late and great Norm Smith with six premierships.
Since the inception of the AFL in 1990, the Demons have made only one Grand Final. Since 2006 they have made the finals just once — in 2018 — when they won two finals, then lost to West Coast by 11 goals in a preliminary final.
A jolly good game is no longer good enough. Their supporters demand more.
Melbourne trains at Gosch’s Paddock and its admin is based between the MCG and AAMI Park. It has had five different coaches and three interim coaches in the past 13 years.
No wonder it lacks an identity.
There are four genuine, very good players at the Demons. Lion-heart Max Gawn is undisputed. Christian Petracca can be as good as the best, if he works hard.
Christian Salem can match it with the better players at any other club. And Clayton Oliver, with effort, can also be excellent.
Nathan Jones has been a warrior, but he has possibly gone on for one year too long.
So perhaps the biggest issue over the past two decades is the Demons’ drafting and recruitment. A look over Melbourne’s draft history is damning.
In 2006 it chose Cale Morton at No. 4 over Lachie Henderson (8), Ben McEvoy (9), Patrick Dangerfield (10), Cyril Rioli (12) and Alex Rance (18).
In 2008 it took Jack Watts with the No. 1 pick. Lovely kid, Jack, but Nic Naitanui went to West Coast at pick No.2. Others that followed in that draft were Stephen Hill (3) to Fremantle, Hamish Hartlett (4) to Port Adelaide, Michael Hurley (5) to Essendon, Jack Ziebell (9) to North Melbourne and Steele Sidebottom (11) to Collingwood.
In 2009, the Demons picked up Tom Scully and Jack Trengove at Nos. 1 and 2 respectively. Nat Fyfe went to Fremantle at 20.
In 2010, Melbourne drafted Lucas Cook (12) and Jeremy Howe (33). Howe is now starring at Collingwood.
In 2012 it took Jimmy Toumpas (4) and Jack Viney (26), and passed on Jake Stringer (5), Jack Macrae (6), Ollie Wines (7), Nick Vlastuin (9) and Brodie Grundy (18).
And in 2013 it gave its first pick to Greater Western Sydney for Dom Tyson. The Giants used that pick to get Josh Kelly.
It’s very easy from the outside and in hindsight to point out what could have been, but there is a murky draft history there, and today’s Melbourne squad doesn’t resemble a top-level list because of it.
Even recently, the recruitment of Jake Lever and Steven May, two similar-type defenders, makes little sense. Why both? Did they go for two defenders hoping that at least one would pay dividends? They certainly paid enough for Lever.
I’m confused then as to what type of player the club is looking to draft and recruit. If I’m confused, the supporters must be disillusioned. And heart broken.
There has been a lot of commentary about Melbourne president Glen Bartlett’s public attack on the team, but I for one think it’s about time someone at Melbourne stood up for the supporters and demanded more. So much more needs to be done. It takes hard work and effort.
Bartlett began his footy career as a player for West Coast before he moved to Melbourne for business. Clearly he is a passionate Demons supporter and his role at the club has become a thankless task.
Melbourne’s game plan failed dismally last year as the Demons won just five games and finished 17th. Yet the style hasn’t changed at all this season on the way to four wins from nine matches. Alan Richardson, as director of coaching, seems to have had very little influence on the game structure, if any at all.
Simon Goodwin is persisting with the system he has in mind for the team, without the personnel to execute it.
I’m not here to put pressure on any coach, but there comes a time when you have to admit that the game style doesn’t cut it and needs adjustment to fit the capabilities of the players.
It is a structure built on rapid ball movement, but when you have a team that lacks the skill to use the football well, the last thing you need is overuse, because you’re just giving the ball back to the opposition.
The Demons fail against quick moving sides because their midfield doesn’t defend or spread fast enough. They fail against big bodied teams because they can’t match it with them. It’s no secret that the sweat on the gym floor at the shared AAMI Park base is from Melbourne Storm players. No secret either, the poor work ethic of many of the Melbourne players.
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Gawn is clearly the heart and soul of the whole organisation, but he needs assistance. Tom McDonald looks out of shape and has lost his mobility. Angus Brayshaw, third in the Brownlow Medal count in 2018, has lost as much self-confidence as the match committee has lost faith in him. Jack Viney is tough, but he doesn’t impact the game every week. Sam Weideman tickles the fancy but isn’t consistent.
On Sunday, although the Demons’ opponent, North Melbourne, has been in poor form, it has history and an identity. The Shinboners will always fight for a victory.
Melbourne last held up the premiership cup in 1964, perhaps then, a proud club knew who it was.
Today, supporters and opponents alike wonder when the club will emerge with a strong stance on what it stands for. What is its true essence? Until then, we wait.