Melbourne
Coach – Steven King
2025 –
Points For – 10th
Points Against – 12th
Top 5 Best and Fairest
1 – Max Gawn
2 – Christian Petracca
3 – Kysaiah Pickett
4 – Jake Bowey
5 – Christian Salem
2025 Rising Star Noms
Harvey Langford (Rnd 3)
Xavier Lindsay (Rnd 7)
Ins – Oscar Berry, Max Heath, Changkuoth Jiath, Thomas Matthews, Brodie Mihocek, Riley Onley, Latrelle Pickett, Jack Steele, Kalani White, Xavier Taylor
Outs – Jack Billings, Kynan Brown. Tom Fullarton, Marty Hore, Judd McVee, Clayton Oliver, Christian Petracca, Oliver Sestan, Charlie Spargo, Will Verall, Taj Woewodin
My Prediction
Melbourne were one of the surprise packets of last season. In retrospect, their miserable year was probably always coming, the lunatics have been running that asylum for a while. 2026 has all the hallmarks of a reset and I am not sure a good one, they have taken a coach from Geelong after heavily courting Buckley. This has potential disaster written all over it.
The backline looks pretty similar to last season, they shopped May around but surprisingly few takers. Lever looks to have hit the injured phase of his career and they lack KP depth. They found one last year in Turner who was very handy. Bowey rediscovered some of his early career form. They lose McVee who had been very solid.
The midfield is really going to be interesting. No more throwing Petracca in the middle and the vague hope that Oliver will become a good player again is no longer teasing the fans. They found one in Windsor, Langdon will continue on the other wing with his very gradual decline that no one seems to have noticed. Bringing in Steele could be a masterstroke although him and Viney feel like the same player and I am not sure you carry two of them in modern football. Their midfield looks to have gone from a strength to a genuine concern.
The forward line has been broken even when they won their premiership. They have brought in Mihocek in a search for answers but I am not sure he is it. I understand why he took the deal he was offered but he is aging and wont be around next time this team is a contender. They will miss Petracca up forward and Van Rooyen looks like a player that looks like a player (without actually ever becoming a player). Pickett is a freak and they have brought in a stable mate to at least make them exciting to watch. The forward line remains as problematic as ever.
The ruck surely has to slow down at some stage. The way Gawn has stayed at the top of the game in a position when not many can is phenomenal. They have brought in Heath which is almost the exact opposite of Gawn in that he has never looked real flash or consistent. The coach seems an moneyball sort of selection. He will need time but looking at their recruits, I am not convinced that the Demons recognise the window has closed.
I don’t see the Demons as a challenger even for the play in this year. They have relied on too few for too much over the last couple of years and they are even thinner for talent this year. I am not sure they slide too much further although its possible. I think they finish in the 12-14 range.
