Gary Buckenara analyses the Melbourne list after the Demons’ 2021 premiership win
A year ago Gary Buckenara made a prediction about Melbourne that hasn’t aged well. The recruiting expert on what changed and if this is really the start of a dynasty.
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Here is the part where I eat my words.
Last year, I made a declaration about Melbourne – and it hasn’t aged well.
“Melbourne’s current list isn’t capable of winning a premiership and until four key aspects missing from the playing list are addressed, it won’t be in a position to challenge,” I wrote when assessing the Demons list at the end of last season.
“Competitiveness, skills, footy smarts and character are the four characteristics every recruiter should be looking for and the Demons don’t have anywhere near enough players who embody these traits.
“Competitiveness is the one that is seriously lacking at Melbourne.”
I don’t think my criticism was harsh or unwarranted back then but it is amazing how far this group has come in 12 months.
All the things I was critical of last year, Melbourne delivered this season.
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The ruthless football the Demons played, especially during the finals, is what ultimately won them a premiership.
Credit goes to Simon Goodwin and his team of coaches and fitness and medical staff but it was the playing group which addressed the traits in their game that were lacking to produce a season of excellence to deliver a drought-ending flag.
I rated Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver as B-grade players last year as Petracca had not consistently stepped up and 2020 was the first year he had become a consistent player.
When considering the list ratings, I want to see players sustain that level before they become A-graders. One season alone doesn’t cut it.
But Petracca, now a Norm Smith medallist, has become an A-grader and a star of the AFL.
Oliver was a consistent performer from the start but I marked him harshly on account of his kicking and turnovers. He has become a far more accomplished player by foot.
He is another genuine A-grade star and he was brilliant in the Grand Final.
There were plenty of others who stepped up.
Max Gawn was brilliant as the leader, Christian Salem elevated to A-grade, Jack Viney was so important, Jake Lever had unbelievable composure, Angus Brayshaw was very tough and what a pick-up Ed Langdon has been – his skills and decision making improved out of sight.
The Demons and their supporters should rightfully enjoy the moment after 57 years waiting for a flag – but the team will now be the hunted for season 2022.
What they delivered to reach the top this season, they will now need to find another gear.
LIST NEEDS
The Melbourne list is very well balanced with a strong number of A and B-graders and some very good C-graders and 10 future A or B players coming through.
Credit must go to the list management and recruiting teams at Melbourne as, like Essendon, I had been critical of them in the past, particularly over players who did not seem to have enough competitiveness.
But the group, overall, dispelled those thoughts this year.
TRADE TARGETS
The Demons are a destination club now. Adam Cerra would be a fantastic addition although he has nominated Carlton as his preferred destination. I am sure they will look to add to their considerable top-end talent if possible.
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UNTOUCHABLES
It is easier for a club like Melbourne to retain players and add players because they are seen as a destination club now.
Robbie Tarrant wanting to leave North Melbourne and join Richmond to chase playing finals is a case in point for clubs not in the same fortunate position.
They will keep their A and B-grade players and a number of C-graders like Joel Smith, Marty Hore, Oskar Baker and Adam Tomlinson (injured).
TRADE BAIT
I doubt they will be doing much in the trade period but if they could get Cerra then maybe one of their ex-WA players may need to be utilised to be able to get a deal done?
But, as premiers, you need to be careful about upsetting the harmony of the group by trading out a player/players.
We have seen examples over the years that have hurt clubs by sending popular players to other clubs.
WHAT THE RATINGS MEAN
List management is one of the most important jobs at an AFL club.
Poor decisions can be catastrophic — and Collingwood proved that last year.
Far too many clubs can often hold an overly-optimistic view when ranking their own lists and this can lead to years of mediocrity and has Carlton done this recently?
When clubs are rating their lists, they should rank players as: A+, A, B+, B, C+, C and Development.
In this list analysis, I have just done A, B, C and two tiers of development (“future AB players” and “need more time”) because with the younger players it is important to see who is coming through and those that need more time.
The important area for clubs to look at is how many A and B ranked players they have as well as future consistent AB players.
These rankings are my opinions, but they should give supporters a reasonable snapshot as to where their playing list sits now — and how they might look in a few years’ time.
PLAYERS 22 AND OVER
A-grade: Elite players on any AFL list
B-grade: Top 10-18 player on most lists
C-grade: An 19-30 player on a list
Developing: Aged 21 or under
Future AB players: These are players that will hopefully develop into an A or B ranked player once they turn 22. They might be playing to this level now, but it takes sustained years.
Need more time: These players would be a player recently drafted that is still developing and therefore will need more time to see if he is likely to develop into an A or B grade player.
RATING THE MELBOURNE LIST
A-grade: Steven May, Christian Salem, Christian Petracca, Jack Viney, Jake Lever, Angus Brayshaw, Max Gawn, Clayton Oliver, Ed Langdon.
B-grade: James Harmes, Michael Hibberd, Jake Melksham, Tom McDonald, Sam Weideman, Jayden Hunt, Alex Neal-Bullen, Bayley Fritsch, Ben Brown.
C-grade: Adam Tomlinson, Oskar Baker, Marty Hore, Mitch Brown, Joel Smith, Kye Declase, Majak Daw.
Developing
Future AB: Luke Jackson, Charlie Spargo, Toby Bedford, Bailey Laurie, Jake Bowey, James Jordan, Trent Rivers, Tom Sparrow, Harrison Petty, Kysaiah Pickett,
Need more time: Fraser Rosman, Kade Chandler, Daniel Turner, Deakyn Smith.
Retired/delisted: Nathan Jones (retired), Neville Jetta (retired), Jay Lockhart (delisted), Aaron Nietschke (delisted), Austin Bradtke (delisted), Aaron vandenBerg (seeking opportunities elsewhere).
MELBOURNE LIST BREAKDOWN
A-grade: 9
B-grade: 9
C-grade: 7
Developing
Future AB players: 10
Need more time: 4
CRYSTAL BALL
What a year it has been for the Demons. At this time last season, their supporter base – and myself – were very scathing of another lost season.
But to their credit, they turned it around quickly and Simon Goodwin’s faith in this group of players was rewarded with a wonderfully consistent year – and a premiership.
They have now set the benchmark and they will need to lift the bar again leading into next season as opposition teams will now be hunting them.
They cannot afford to drop off at all as they will find it is very hard to back up year after year with the same ruthlessness.
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If the Demons can bring that same effort and ruthless competitiveness, they will surely be hard to beat again in 2022.
The Demons should be one of the teams to beat for a few years to come given the quality of the top-end talent and the standard of their developing – future AB players – coming through.
The experience these young players have had in 2021 from being a part of a premiership list is surely going to drive a great culture for many years to come.
Melbourne should be proud of what it has been able to achieve but the standards the team brought to the table this season have now been set in stone.
It’s up to the players to accept the challenges they will face from teams in 2022 – and beyond – if they want to do it all again.
Originally published as Gary Buckenara analyses the Melbourne list after the Demons’ 2021 premiership win
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