Melbourne still paying the price for preliminary final run

Melbourne’s fairytale run to last year’s preliminary final came at a cost they are still feeling, with at least 10 of the Demons’ best 22 requiring surgery over summer.

Max Gawn of the Demons.

The argument goes that the AFL pre-season is too long. For Melbourne, it hasn’t been long enough.

Internally, the Demons knew the first month of this season would be more about surviving than thriving.

Last year’s fairytale run deep into September came at a cost the club is still feeling.

When the dust settled on a campaign that ended in a preliminary final, at least 10 of Melbourne’s best 22 needed surgery.

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Clayton Oliver had both shoulders done and Jack Viney had his ankle fixed, while James Harmes (shoulder), Oscar McDonald (hip), Jake Melksham (ankle), Aaron vandenBerg (shoulder), Christian Petracca (knee), Neville Jetta (shoulder), Mitch Hannan (knee) and Tom McDonald (elbow) all went under the knife.

Clayton Oliver and Max Gawn at Demons training this week.

Nathan Jones and Steven May then missed large chunks of the pre-season with hamstring complaints, before vandenBerg aggravated an old ankle problem in the last JLT game in which Joel Smith also hurt his groin.

When the Demons run on to GMHBA Stadium for Saturday night’s crunch clash against Geelong, Jake Lever (knee), Jordan Lewis (hamstring), Jeff Garlett (shoulder), vandenBerg, Hannan and Smith will still be watching from the stands.

Jones, Viney and Melksham played in the Round 1 loss to Port Adelaide off-one VFL practice match, while Harmes is battling to overcome a compound dislocation he copped in that eventful Lions game.

Every team has injuries, of course, just like every team “seeks clarification” from the AFL over the treatment of their players.

In fact, it happens often. Not all games are played inside the fence.

But Simon Goodwin’s declaration he and the Demons sought answers from the league over the legality of the Power’s targeting of Max Gawn angered Kane Cornes.

“Melbourne haven’t won a premiership since 1964 ... and the way they are carrying on this year, it looks like that drought will be extended,” Cornes said on SEN.

“Instead of accepting that he was out-coached and had no answers to the Port tactics, Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin went and had a whinge to the umpires.

“That’s embarrassing.”

Max Gawn copped plenty of treatment off the ball against Port Adelaide.

Yet the fact is, clubs go to the AFL all the time. When the Demons did they presented a collection of video clips, said to be in double figures and unseen by the public, of Gawn getting hit from all angles as far as 100m off the ball.

The Demons know what it’s like to be on the other side of the equation, too.

When Gawn caught fire last year, some clubs went to the AFL with video tapes in hand, arguing the ruckman was illegally using his left arm to push off opponents.

Cue free kicks against Gawn at stoppages.

The Demons acknowledge Gawn had a shocker against Port and the All-Australian ruckman has vowed to be better against the Cats.

But his teammates have also vowed not to stand for the same treatment should Geelong follow the Power’s lead and take aim.

You may want to get the popcorn ready.