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The succession plan is complete. Now, it’s time for the success to follow.
Melbourne enters 2017 with more hype than they’ve experienced in about a decade, as a finals berth is a reasonable goal. In fact, the Demons were still in September contention in the final couple of rounds last season – before they blew it away, serving as a harsh reminder that Melbourne still has demons to bury before they escape years of frustration.
Simon Goodwin must use that last fortnight as a lesson. Yes, Melbourne has the talent to make the finals, with some arguing another year without September football would be a mass disappointment. However, finals are a foreign concept to many Demons, and playing a good, consistent brand of footy are aspects Melbourne is still adapting to.
Learning those nuances of a winning team cannot be accelerated. With this squad, though, the wins should come. Maybe not at the rate of a finals lock, but definitely at a faster pace than Melbourne fans are used to.
The acquisition of Jordan Lewis will help the Demons in numerous ways. His on-field excellence is an obvious improvement to Melbourne’s midfield, but it will be the leadership values that will be just as vital. Lewis knows about all those elements of a winning team mentioned above, and the premiership pedigree he brings to the Dees’ locker room will be invaluable.
Along with Lewis, Jack Viney, Dom Tyson and Nathan Jones are all indispensible to Melbourne’s midfield.
An issue Goodwin could encounter, though, is the Demons’ shallow depth after that core four. The likes of Clayton Oliver and Angus Brayshaw have immense potential, but they both battled inconsistences last season. If Oliver and Brayshaw can find continuity in their performances, the problem will quickly be resolved. If they don’t, though, which wouldn’t be a surprise as both players are still young; the Dees’ second-tier midfield options may need to be called up. What you get out of Jake Melksham is unknown, but at least it’s another solid option Goodwin can toy with in the midfield.
However, as long as Max Gawn is transcending the ruck position, Melbourne’s collective midfield performance will outweigh the sum of its parts.
The Dees’ forward line set-up will also be intriguing to monitor. Jesse Hogan is a lock at full forward, while Jack Watts now resides in A-grade status. Sam Weideman looms as the wildcard. Melbourne loves the kid and wants to get games into him, but shouldn’t do it intensively. Throwing a 19-year-old key forward into the fire could be detrimental to Weideman’s development, but at the same time, you don’t want him lingering in the VFL for too long.
Ideally, Weideman joins Watts and Hogan to create a three-headed monster. Don’t be surprised, though, if Melbourne takes a cautions approach with Weideman. If they do, someone like Aaron vandenBerg, who played forward with varying success late last season, could see an increased opportunity. Cam Pedersen is another tall-forward option.
The addition of Michael Hibberd gives Melbourne some much-needed clean ball use coming out of defence. The McDonald brothers are the pillars, while Jayden Hunt’s pace is electrifying. Additionally, Bernie Vince’s rejuvenation playing behind the play continues, a position he relishes in.
Goodwin has all the tools he could ask for in his debut head-coaching season. Now, it’s about nurturing this squad and making sure they don’t get caught up in the hoopla, something Goodwin seems to be trying to do already, with the Dees’ excruciating preseason training program.
The Demons’ Best 22:
B: Michael Hibberd, Tom McDonald, Neville Jetta
HB: Bernie Vince, Oscar McDonald, Jayden Hunt
C: Dom Tyson, Jordan Lewis, Clayton Oliver
HF: Christian Petracca, Sam Weideman, Dean Kent
F: Jack Watts, Jesse Hogan, Jeff Garlett
Foll: Max Gawn, Jack Viney, Nathan Jones
INT: Jake Melksham, Christian Salem, Angus Brayshaw, Aaron vandenBerg
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