Injection of youth could be secret formula for Demons to avoid September fade-outs

The Dees have been struck down in September the last two seasons, but in 2024, Simon Goodwin’s side might just have found the Fountain of Youth to push them deep into the finals mix.

MELBOURNE, AUSTRALIA – MAY 04: Simon Goodwin, Senior Coach of the Demons is seen at three quarter tie during the 2024 AFL Round 08 match between the Melbourne Demons and the Geelong Cats at The Melbourne Cricket Ground on May 04, 2024 in Melbourne, Australia. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

No one needs to tell Simon Goodwin football is about peaking for September after a pair of straight sets finals departures.

So as the football world raves over No. 7 pick Caleb Windsor’s instant impact he is urging them not to sleep on his side’s overall capacity for improvement.

Windsor was again phenomenal against Geelong, lacing out an early goal assist to Bayley Fritsch playing on Jeremy Cameron then pinning Tom Atkins with the chase-down tackle that helped set up the victory.

As Goodwin chirped post-match, it’s surely good enough for the missing Rising Star nomination that is destined to come on Monday.

Windsor was superb in the Dees’ big win. (Photo by Quinn Rooney/Getty Images)

But the Demons also have five players in their side with 10 or less games of experience as well as No. 13 draft pick Koltyn Tholstrup, who made his debut in round 6.

So while the Demons will put all their energies into a massive Thursday night clash against Carlton, Goodwin is also playing the long game.

“He’s just a kid that embraces everything about the game and continues to improve,” Goodwin said of wingman Windsor.

“He has still got a lot of growth in him and we are going to manage him. Last week we subbed him out. He won’t play certain games during the year but just to manage him and make sure he’s improving and still has his energy during the year.

He provides a lot for us. We are loving what he’s bringing to our footy club.”

Those five kids are Windsor, defender Blake Howes (all eight games this year), forward Daniel Turner (five games across three seasons), mid Taj Woewodin (six games this year, 10 in total) and small forward Bailey Laurie.

Melbourne still has high hopes for forward Shane McAdam after early-season soft-tissue concerns, while Harrison Petty played his best game of the season with four contested marks and a host of telling one-percenters.

Goodwin’s side look be in the premiership mix again. (Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)

His intercept set up Bailey Fritsch’s extraordinary checkside matchwinner after a slow start to the year, which is why Goodwin believes the Demons are yet to peak.

“I think offensively we are certainly improving, there is no question about that, but we have also got enormous growth in our personnel. We had give guys with less than 10 games who are starting to contribute to our footy club and as we sit here really excited about the growth throughout the year, that continual improvement.

“Our coaches are embracing how we get better not only in the way we play but also our personnel. This was a step in the right direction but for those guys to be exposed and stand up in a game like tonight is great for our footy club moving forward.”

No one is representing that capacity for improvement more than midfielder Clayton Oliver, who Goodwin lauded in the pre-match on Saturday night after such a turbulent summer.

“He is really close to being back at his best. We need to really care for people so they can live a great life. We couldn’t be prouder of the way he’s going at the moment,” he said.

Originally published as Injection of youth could be secret formula for Demons to avoid September fade-outs