https://www.afl.com.au/aflw/news/1262641/six-club-mega-deal-floated-as-stars-tayla-harris-and-lily-mithen-eye-new-homes

A six club mega trade in AFLW has been floated which would see Tayla Harris move to Hawthorn, which is her clear preference despite not yet formally requesting a trade, and Lily Mithen going to the Suns. Mithen is understood to be open to a move to Gold Coast, guaranteeing pick 2 and multiple top 10 draft picks in the first ever AFLW national draft. The Dees have also separately been shopping pick 10 to rival clubs as part of a contingency plan if a Tayla Harris trade to the Hawks collapses.

What a shithole that place has become. Can’t talk about the mfc board elections. Can’t talk about mfc drug claims. Overzealous moderation.

I get that they wanna cover their asses, but it’s a fucking supporter forum. Let the people speak.

https://www.afl.com.au/aflw/news/1262111/suns-plot-shock-move-to-land-heart-and-soul-dee

The Suns are planning a trade for AFLW season seven premiership player Lily Mithen, who is contracted at the Dees through 2026. Mithen, a Melbourne foundation player who has played 82 games for the club after debuting in 2017, is yet to decide on whether to follow through with the move, but ultimately we would get pick 2 in the AFLW draft if a trade was to be completed.

TL;DR: I'm expecting great things this season as we rebound back to our best under a new direction, but I have questions that i think will be answered this year and next that will set the course for the next 4 or 5 seasons after that.

Hey guys,

Now that the draft is over, teams are locked, loaded and ready to go.

After having what can only be described as a fucking disaster of a season last year, I think the dees have made some great, positive cultural changes that puts us in a good position to reverse the clock a bit and get back to our dominant best, and i expect us back in the 8, if not genuinely drifitng around the top 4 for a lot of the year. It feels like there was a lot of built up tension in the organisation between the playing group and the executive level, and i'm so thrilled that we cut out the bureaucrats from the director level and replaced them with a brilliant footy brain in Brad Green, and i love to see us reinfused actual melbourne FC identity back into the coaching group with Chunk back in the mix.

It feels like we have made a nice transition from a corporate direction that was focused on erasing debt throughout the latter part of the 2010s, which was ultimately needed at the time and clearly helped get the MFC organisation functioning like a mature business again, to a far more footy-focused approach to winning from the top of the org down. I think that bringing in Brad can only be a good thing after the self-aggrandising tossers Pert and Roffey have been pushed out.

I'm keen to hear your guys thoughts on what you expect from the new regime and new cultural direction in the short term as well as the medium-long term. I think we're all pretty aligned on what the next one or two seasons looks like. I think we expect to get back to the level of grit and dominance that we held throughout 2021-2023 (finals results not withstanding), and the next wave of young talent is going to keep taking steps forward. I think there are a few questions that will need to be answered in the short term that will probably require some maneuvering from Green and co, as well as a few general things on the horizon that I'd be interested to see how we handle:

The Trial of Saint Petracca

This is the biggest question for me as we head into this season, where does Petracca stand with the organisation, the playing group, and what is his commitment to the future of this football club? I think that the truth about how the situation played out exists somewhere between the grandiose media coverage of the situation and the MFC nuffies who constantly called it fake news throughout.

I think Petracca was clearly unhappy with the direction of the club in terms of on-field and off-field product, and i'm of the mind that he would have accepted a trade out of the club if it was offered, and i think that the way it was handled from his side was pretty immature and has put a slight dent on how I personally view him as a Demon, but i think that everybody is entitled to air their grievances and frustrations and it's about how he recommits to the club and the group this season that is more important than anything.

I think the club did a fantastic job of drawing boundaries on this and did not give Petracca the leeway to force his way out, since we held and hold all the cards to his future. Will the changes that we've made at the executive level and the playing group be enough for him to bring his full 100% best back to the club? I think all indications from his side are absolutely yes, and i don't think he will be anything but a hard nosed, consummate beast this season, even if its with the view of maximising his potential trade value to other clubs that would make the MFC start considering trading him as an option.

The Slings and Arrows of Clayton Oliver

Last year was simply bad for Clayton on a personal level. While his mental health issues aren't new to literally any MFC fan that paid attention, the way it came to a head over the last offseason and the following season was just bad for everybody involved. Clarry came in extremely out of shape (I don't put much stock into the "yeah but he didn't have a preseason". Plenty of palyers miss preseason, most of them don't come into the season overweight, especially someone as high performance as Clarry), his involvement with the scapegoat Joel Smith during that saga was undeniable, and his meeting with Geelong was a pretty clear indication that he would have welcomed a change of environemtn as well.

Much like Tracca, Clarry has recommitted to getting this club back on track, and I am taking him at his word until he proves otherwise. Once again, i think the MFC did a fantastic job of putting their foot down with Clarry and being clear that he is contracted and wont be traded. I think Clarry especially is someone who benefits from much tougher boundaries set around him, and i feel good about his prospects. BUT, has Clarry truly made the turn on his maturity or will he slip back into old habits?

Perfection, thy name is Maximus Gawn

Greatest ruck in the history of the game, second best captain in the history of the club, and still one of the top 10 players in the entire comp heading into his 16th season. Gawn is genuinely one of the greatest things that has happened to this club, and he has been responsible for more wins off his palm and his boot than anybody i can think of. Gawn is simply dominant, and crazily enough, does not seem to be slowing down at all. His offseason workout commitments typically involve doing massive, long distance road bikes with Langdon, and you can see the results that are coming from the work he puts into his body.

But Father Time is an invisible assassin, and you never know when he's going to make his move, and one of the biggest concerns i have for this year is "What the fuck happens if we don't have Max?".

Our ruck stocks are, to put it mildly, fucking shithouse. Fullarton was streaky in the VFL, and never made enough of a case as a forward to ever be a viable ruck backup for Gawn, who is the best two way running big fella i've ever seen. Jefferson doesn't seem to be AFL-level for a forward and had zero ruck time at VFL level, and we've made another low-cost, high-upside trade for Tom Campbell in the hope that we can uncover a decent backup ruck in him.

While our ruck philosophy around the ground has always been to spread the load (with TMac, JVR, and Petty all being used to pinch hit in situations), there is a glaring, Max Gawn shaped hole in our midfield that is looming on the horizon. How are we genuinely positioned to move forward after Gawns day is done?

I'm just hoping he pulls a Todd Goldstein and keeps going until he physically cant anymore.

The Final Judgment of Steven May

Another positional worry for me is how will we cover the gaps that could potentially be made with Steven May slowing down (if it happens). Much like Gawn, May seems to be successfully dodging father time, even while sustaining injuries that genuinely could have all individually knocked his career out. I don't think Steven May is going to break down in the next 12 months, but I do have concerns about what our long-term options are in the KPD position. Naturally, i think Petty slots into that role quite well, and even though he is far less of an intercepting, defensive IQ talent as May, i think he offers incredible 1:1 defense ability on bigger forwards. Is Petty enough to pair next to Lever to maintain our identity as a tough defensive side?

The one thing i have zero concern about is our mid-small defensive stocks. Rivers, McVee, Salem, Bowey, and Lindsay all give us incredible depth in the back 6 for exiting the arc, but getting the ball to the deck might become harder if our tall stocks fall short.

On Dusty Mount, Forwardlines Are Made Clear

And lastly, the great debate of the last 3 seasons, how are we going to get our forwardline back to it's high-functioning best. It's been no secret that we have been desperate for more forward impact since 2021 as Ben Brown basically stopped in place. JVR is taking great strides, Fritsch has to rediscover himself after a down season, and Kozzie is, simply put, acting like a fuckwit and has once again hamstrung our season by being the first player in AFL history to be suspended for the opening two rounds of back to back seasons for separate incidences.

Our draft profile err'd towards bringing in more impactful mids that can be shuffled from arc to arc, and the fix for our forwardline from an organisational perspective is not to bring in dominant forwards, but to bring in ball users who can get it inside the arcs quicker and cleaner. Which means that the org clearly sees JVR as a long term option as a key forward, in the mould of a Jesse Hogan - not the biggest body, but incredible reader of the footy and user of his strength. I think JVR had a pretty wonderful season and i think he's perched to make a big leap this year, but it is a lot of pressure to put on him again, and he is yet to crack the 30-goal mark in a season, having just kicked 30 this year gone.

If JVR is the long term option at forward and we are building around his impact, he needs to add another 15 goals to his best this year and truly cement himself as a key position forward. His career so far has basically mirrored Charlie Curnow in terms of scoreboard impact, but it's time for him to start taking the strides that Curnow took, and reengaged after being injured for the better parts of his years 4 and 5.

Will this end up being the right way to remedy our issues? or will we find ourselves frustrated again wishing we had a talismanic tall forward to structure around? If we finish this season with another year of "Melbourne would be dominant if they had a proper forwardline", how do we react?

Fly High on Angelic Wings

this one isn't really a question, i just want to highlight that our draft and trade profile has prioritised outside ball users and we are going to see a seriously strong attack off half back and the wings with guys like Windsor, Langdon, Langford, Lindsay, McVee, and a handful of other pinch hitting mids rotating in and out. If we arent a top 10 ball winning and ball using side this season, there is something seriously wrong.

Anyway that's my thinkaboutit for a Monday morning. Keen to hear what you guys think.

The old M on the 2025 training guernsey is fucking elite.

I really don't need another guernsey and have one of the original Nike ones but it's a banger

Are there no more drafts before season 2025?

I find it hard to believe there wouldn't be a club after his services.

Given that he was clearly going to get picked up by the Lions, curious why we bid on him and whether it cost us anything to do so? Draft rules are complicated so hoping someone here can give simple breakdown

https://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/1694826/afl-draft-pick-no6-harvey-langford

The Dees have selected Harvey Langford at pick 6, with the 191cm tall Dandenong Stingrays and Vic Country midfielder being one of the most sought-after players in this year's draft class. He is considered the ultimate all-round football talent, having won the Larke Medal for best and fairest in the U18 National Championships, where he averaged 25 disposals, 6 marks, 6 clearances and 6 inside 50s. His strength, running ability, leadership and proven competency to play at the elite level will be beneficial for us as he can slot comfortably into the AFL list.

I realise this is ANOTHER draft post... but:

Fox Footy phantom draft have us taking: Pick 6 (after Ashcroft bid): Alex Tauru - defender Pick 11: Bo Allen - defender/midfielder

From the article: Alex Tauru Position: Medium defender Size: 193cm Clubs: Gippsland Power/Warragul Industrials AFL player comparison: Tom Stewart Foxfooty.com.au Draft Power Rankings: 9

The bolter of 2024. A high-flying, intercept-marking machine, Tauru’s leap and ability to read the play in defence has mass appeal to AFL clubs. He missed games in the early part of the season with a hip injury, but soared into top-10 calculations following a strong finish to his Coates Talent League campaign, which saw him boot seven goals and average 15.4 disposals and 5.7 marks from his final nine games before recording the best running vertical jump result (94cm) at the draft combine. Tauru’s upside at AFL level is enormous, hence nearly all 18 teams interviewed him at national draft combine.

In the mix/trade watch: If North Melbourne takes Tauru at either Pick 2 or 4 (trade dependent), it’s likely two of Harvey Langford – who has long been linked to Melbourne – Finn O’Sullivan (less likely) or Sid Draper will be available for the Dees to select, with Langford seen as the more likely choice over Draper.

Bo Allen Position: Medium defender/midfielder Size: 191cm Clubs: Peel Thunder/Halls Head AFL player comparison: Elliot Yeo Foxfooty.com.au Draft Power Rankings: 18

Another popular prospect whose draft stocks have soared across the back-end of 2024 – and they were already high. After earning All-Australian honours — he averaged 20.0 disposals, 7.3 contested possessions, 6.3 score involvements, 6.0 tackles and 3.7 clearances for WA — Allan added another nine WAFL league games to take his season tally to 11 for Peel Thunder, averaging 11.5 disposals and 3.3 tackles on his way to becoming a premiership player. Allan is a terrific athlete — he recorded three top-four finishes at the national draft combine in both vertical jumps and the agility test — while he has strong footy nous and leadership traits. He has the size and range that allows him to play midfield and win the ball around stoppages, yet is just as comfortable playing as a rebounding defender. Some clubs believe he can be a midfielder at AFL level due to his competitiveness, while others reckon he’d be more suited to a backline role. Either way, he looms as hot property on draft night.

In the mix/trade watch: Considering, in this scenario, Melbourne takes Alix Tauru with its first pick, we have the Demons selecting Allan with their second pick with a view to using him as a midfielder at AFL level. The Dees have been strongly linked to two other players at this selection: Key forward Harry Armstrong and classy midfielder/defender Xavier Lindsay. And they’d strongly consider Tobie Travaglia, should he still be on the board.

Based on all the rumours and news around Wednesdays Draft who are we picking realistically? Me personally I would take: 5: Harvey Langford- Taller Midfielder (If he is picked earlier, this would become whichever of the top midfielders slide)

9: Bo Allan-Tall Defender/Mid (A freak athlete, with burst speed and versatility, and we love our WA boys.)

I feel like these two picks would complement our lineup so well, both have high upside and can slot in. In JT we trust 🙏

https://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/1691597/gather-round-fixture-finalised

The fixture for Gather Round in round 5 of the upcoming season 2025 has been finalised, with Melbourne set to play Essendon in a home game at Adelaide Oval on Saturday 12th April in a rematch of our clash during the inaugural Gather Round in 2023.

https://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/1692239/all-australian-squad-chaplin-named

Maeve Chaplin has been named in the 42-player AFLW All-Australian squad for season 2024 for the first time after averaging 6.7 intercepts (10th highest in the comp) and 13.6 disposals, with a team high disposal efficiency rate of 78.7%. She is the only Dees player to make the squad as captain Kate Hore failed to make the cut despite having a solid season.

https://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/1690502/delany-departs

Delany Madigan, who was selected with pick 55 in the 2023 AFLW draft, has been delisted by the Dees and will not be offered a contract for season 2025. She was an emergency for the team on four occasions, and played one game in our round 6 win against GWS.

https://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/1688171/rhi-watt-calls-time

Rhi Watt has retired from AFLW after a six-year, 37 game career for Carlton, St Kilda and Melbourne, announcing that season 2024 would be her last on Saturday. She moved to the club at the beginning of season 7 in 2022, playing a pivotal off-field role and helping us win our first AFLW flag, before making her debut in round 7 of season 2023, her first game in 595 days. This season she played all 11 games and averaged 11.8 hitouts per match.

https://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/1687658/narrm-secure-47-point-win

The Dees defeated Collingwood 11.8 (74) to 4.3 (27), with captain Kate Hore finishing with three goals and 17 disposals, and Liv Purcell finishing with a game-high eight clearances. The result confirms Collingwood finishing AFLW season 2024 with the wooden spoon, whilst sadly it is season over for us as we finish just outside the eight on percentage following Essendon's 9.6 (60) to 3.6 (24) win over Carlton and fail to make finals.

Twice in two days I've heard two different radio presenters/journalists, when describing the dysfunction at MFC, refer in passing to the recruitment of a player the leadership group had said we shouldn't recruit.

Before these two quick references I had not heard of this situation, but they were said as if it was common knowledge.

Is this something that was broken in the last week that I missed?
Is this something that's well known that I am forgetting?
Do you know who this recruit is? Was it Hunter?