Melbourne in frame to play finals, Gary Buckenara was right in his analysis of Demons list
FORMER Hawthorn recruiter Gary Buckenara hit the nail on the head last October when he implored Melbourne fans to start saving for finals tickets.
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FORMER Hawthorn recruiter Gary Buckenara hit the nail on the head last October when he implored Melbourne fans to start saving for finals tickets.
After five rounds the new-look Demons are laying the foundations of an exciting season in Paul Roos’s final year at the helm.
Melbourne is 3-2 and if it beats St Kilda on Saturday could be in the eight for only the second time since 2011.
DEMONS LIST: GARY BUCKENARA’S ANALYSIS
But the Demons have not won three games in a row since doing it twice in 2010.
Buckenara told News Corp this week it has been the consistency of performance that has seen the club take another step towards a finals berth.
“They’re a chance to have a crack at it (finals) this year – their form has been very consistent, which is the most pleasing thing for them,” Buckenara said this week.
“They’ve always had talent on the list, it’s just for one reason or another it doesn’t seem to have come on. But now it’s taking the right shape.
“It hasn’t been like in recent years where they’d have a good game then go missing for four weeks, then have another good game but again being unable to put two games together.”
The form of players such as Max Gawn, Jack Viney, Nathan Jones, Jack Watts and Dom Tyson plus the emergence of youngsters including Clayton Oliver, Jayden Hunt and Josh Wagner and the debut of prized No.2 draft pick Christian Petracca on Saturday means there are plenty of reasons to be excited at Demonland.
They’re are moving the ball quicker, ranked fifth in the league for play on percentage at 39.5 per cent compared to 31.7 per cent last year (ranked 17th) and 27.6 per cent in 2014 (also 17th). That dare is translating into scores, averaging 101.8 points per game and ranked third in the league for goals per inside 50 at 29 per cent.
“They’re a chance to have a crack at it (finals) this year – their form has been very consistent, which is the most pleasing thing for them."
- Gary Buckenara 
Max Gawn’s emergence as one of the league’s dominant ruckmen means the Demons are second for hit outs to advantage (+5.6 on opponents) and are dominating clearances, ranked fourth at +3.2 on opposition and fourth for scores from stoppages.
Contested ball has also improved, averaging 7.6 more than their opposition (ranked sixth), up from -1 in 2015 and -1.5 in 2015.
Buckenara questioned the leadership at the Demons in his exclusive column for the Herald Sun last October. He wrote: “There has been some bad luck with injuries to these top picks but it also comes down to development.
“It’s also about leadership both on and off the field — who’s setting the example and showing these young players the work ethic and attitude it takes to play senior footy?”
The Demons are led well by skipper Jones but it has been the emergence of young gun Jack Viney illustrates just how far the Demons have come.
Viney is tough, wins plenty of the ball but above all else, he takes responsibility and pride in his performance. And he isn’t afraid to the fly the flag for his team, just as he did for Watts after the ugly Alex Rance incident.
He has improved his disposal rate from 21.9 in 2015 to 29 and is averaging 15.8 contested possessions up from 12.1. Viney is also getting seven clearances per game up from 5.6 and 7.2 score involvements up from 4.4 last year.
“Viney hasn’t surprised me – he was always going to become a good, tough little player, just like his dad,” Buckenara said.
“He has that determination. He was always very good - even in his AIS tour he was a real leader on that, you could see it. He would pull the guys together and made sure things were done right.”
And then there’s the form of Watts who, along with Sam Frost, has provided another target inside 50 to take the pressure off Jesse Hogan.
Watts said earlier this month his form is a reflection of the team’s improvement but he’s taking more marks, kicking goals and is involved in 6.8 score involvements per game.
“He’s mirroring the consistency factor,” Buckenara said of the maligned former No.1 draft pick.
“Jack was terrible in his consistency early in his career – he showed glimpses but never really put it together on a weekly basis or a quarterly basis.
“It’s good to see because he has had his knockers but he’s a good young man. I hope he continues to understand and develop his game to become a more consistent footballer because he does have a lot of attributes that are very hard to find.”
FINALS CONTENDERS? HOW THE DEMONS HAVE IMPROVED
HOW JACK WATTS STACKS UP
JACK VINEY’S RISE
Originally published as Melbourne in frame to play finals, Gary Buckenara was right in his analysis of Demons list
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