PC2011/12RP 2013 and Beyond: The Grand Old Flag to Fly High Again.

[Grockadoc]

MELBOURNE: 17.8.110 DEF. RICHMOND: 16.10.106

Possessions: Viney 34, Kent, Toumpas 29, Jones 26, McKenzie 25.
Goals: Clark 5, Jones, Dunn, Dawes 2, Garland, Gawn, Gillies, Kent, McKenzie, Grimes.
Best: Kent, Viney, Gawn, Jones, McKenzie.


Press Conference:

A strong final quarter, in which we kicked 5 goals to the Tigers 2 saw us clinch a very solid win against a tough opponent. Our boys certainly looked a lot more energetic than they did against the Lions, and to a lesser extent the Dockers, so that Bye certainly came at the right time for us. It was one of the best games of the season in my opinion. The skills from both sides were text book, and you really couldn't find any faults from either side, unless you really, really looked for them. Both sides would have been deserving winners in this one, and I am glad it is us that won, showing that we have beaten some absolute quality sides this year. Jack Viney and Mitch Clark were again our two most influential players, and they are going to feature heavily in our best and fairest.​

 

[Grockadoc]

ROUND 21 V ST. KILDA:

LINEUP:

B: Tapscott, Frawley, Terlich
HB: Grimes (C), Garland, Gillies
C: Toumpas, Sylvia, Rodan
HF: Watts, Dawes, Davey
F: Dunn, Clark, Howe
R: Jamar, Trengove, Jones (VC)
INT: Kent, McKenzie, Viney (TAGGERT)

OUT: Gawn, Tynan
IN: Jamar, Watts


Coaches Thoughts:

An interesting game this week, against a side who is currently sitting one place above us on the ladder, with Finals aspirations. This is a must win game for the Saints, and whilst making finals would be nice for us, it isn't a necessity. As such, I would like our boys to win, but losing wouldn't really put a dent into our plans, as I am not looking at immediate results, but rather further down the track. This club has looked for the short term fix far too often, with no game plan for further down the track, I am, however, looking to go through the short term pain to set this club up for the next decade. As such, Finals aren't compulsory, but a winning culture has to start somewhere, and if we make it, I will be stoked, as Melbourne were not mentioned as even slight chances to escape the bottom 4. St. Kilda has more to lose from this game than we do. Big Max Gawn misses the game with a back strain, whilst Josh Tynan is omitted. We welcome back Mark Jamar and Jack Watts for the clash.​

 

[Grockadoc]

ST. KILDA: 16.5.101 DEF. MELBOURNE: 14.11.95

Possessions: Viney 34, Jones 30, Trengove 29, Rodan 27, Toumpas 24.
Goals: Davey 3, Clark, Dawes 2, Terlich, Dunn, Watts, Sylvia, Trengove, Gillies, Kent.
Best: Viney, Trengove, Jones, Dawes, Rodan.


Press Conference:

A disappointing game from the boys, today. We were poor for most of the game, and really only kicked out of gear in the last quarter, kicking 7 goals to 1, however, our inaccuracy at goal really was the deciding point in this game. We had numerous opportunities to hit the lead, but the boys crumbled under the pressure. Credit to the Saints, they kicked extremely well for goal, but bad kicking is bad football, and we didn't really deserve to win this game, really. The boys will be focusing on goalkicking at Training this week, because it is arguably the most fundamental, and essential skill in the game, but it is one of the most poorly executed. If we want to go anywhere as a team, we need to kick a a lot straighter. ​

 

[Grockadoc]

ROUND 22 V NORTH MELBOURNE:

LINEUP:

B: Tapscott, Frawley, Terlich
HB: Grimes (C), Garland, Gillies
C: Toumpas, Sylvia, Rodan
HF: Watts, Dawes, Davey
F: Gawn, Clark, Howe
R: Jamar, Trengove, Jones (VC)
INT: Kent, McKenzie, Viney (TAGGERT)

OUT: Dunn
IN: Gawn.


Coaches Thoughts:

A disappointing game from the boys last week, crumbling under the pressure of a potential finals berth. Finals are now out of the equation, and as a result, the boys can now just relax, and we can start planning for 2014. This week, we face a poor Kangaroos outfit, who have been assured the wooden spoon, having only won 2 games for the season, 4 games behind 16th place with 3 games left. We focussed heavily on goal kicking at training during the week, and we are looking to become a lot more accurate in games. To become one of the upper echelon of teams in the AFL, we need to give ourselves the best opportunity to win as many games as possible, and kicking accurately for goal will go a long way. We welcome back Max Gawn from his back strain, and Lynden Dunn is omitted.​

 

[Grockadoc]

MELBOURNE: 13.13.91 DEF. NORTH MELBOURNE: 12.11.83

Possessions: Viney 33, Trengove 26, Kent 25, Rodan 23, Frawley 22.
Goals: Clark 4, Dawes, Toumpas 2, Gawn, Davey, Rodan, Trengove, Jones.
Best: Viney, Tapscott, Trengove, Rodan, Clark.


Press Conference:

Another disappointing game in front of the sticks, conversion wise from the boys with a conversion rate of 50%, however, unlike last week, it didn't come back to bite us. We were very lucky it didn't bite us in the backside though, because we kicked 5 goals to 2 in the last quarter to seal the win. Our Inaccuracy saw us trailing for the whole game up until the last quarter where the boys finally managed to get a score on the board, through sheer number of scoring shots. Jack Viney was again our best player, and will surely have the best and fairest wrapped up.​

 

[Grockadoc]

ROUND 23 V SYDNEY:

LINEUP:

B: Tapscott, Frawley, Terlich
HB: Grimes (C), Gillies, J. MacDonald
C: Toumpas, Sylvia, Rodan
HF: Watts, Dawes, Davey
F: Dunn, Clark, Howe
R: Gawn, Trengove, Jones (VC)
INT: Kent, McKenzie, Viney (TAGGERT)

OUT: Garland
IN: J. MacDonald


Coaches Thoughts:

We were lucky to get away with a win last week, inaccuracy almost costing us a second straight win. This week, we shall travel for the final time in 2013 to tackle the Swans at the MCG. With the season winding down, finishing with a couple of wins will be invaluable to our belief and preparation for next season. The Swans have been fantastic this season, and a win against us will guarantee them a top 4 birth. As a result, this is a danger game for us. We have the potential to get blown out of the water as the Swans have everything to play for, whilst we are, essentially going through the motions, waiting for the break to unwind before pre-season training starts back up. Colin Garland is out for 3 weeks with an ankle strain, signifying his season is over, and James MacDonald comes into the side. We need to focus this week, as we have been, for the most part competitive this whole year, and complacency could see the boys confidence and self belief demolished.​

 

[Grockadoc]

SYDNEY: 19.9.123 DEF. MELBOURNE: 13.9.87

Possessions: Jones 31, Viney 26, Trengove 21, Rodan 20, Toumpas 19.
Goals: Clark 7, Kent, Davey 2, Watts, Jones.
Best: Clark, Jones, Kent, Jamar, Viney.


Press Conference:

The Swans had everything to play for in this game, vying for a top 4 pot, and it reflected on the field, and on the scoreboard. The Swans came out blistering in the first half, kicking 11 goals to our 2, to take in a massive 50 point lead at half time. Credit to our boys who managed to kick 12 goals to the Swans 8 in the last half, but it was too little, too late. I wouldn't say we played badly today, it was just the way the Swans came out, with their aggressive mentality, our boys were outclassed and outmuscled today. Nathan Jones and Mitch Clark really stood up today, but ultimately, the workload was left to too little.​

 

[Grockadoc]

ROUND 24 V WESTERN BULLDOGS:

LINEUP:

B: Tapscott, Frawley, Terlich
HB: Grimes (C), Pedersen, Gillies
C: Toumpas, Sylvia, Rodan
HF: Watts, Dawes, Davey
F: Dunn, Clark, Howe
R: Gawn, Trengove, Jones (VC)
INT: Kent, McKenzie, Viney (TAGGERT)

OUT: MacDonald
IN: Pedersen


Coaches Thoughts:

A demoralising game last week against the Swans left a few of our boys pretty angry, and they have been focusing on the Bulldogs all week. The final game of the season, both clubs out of contention for the finals, but both clubs desperately wanting a win to set up the players confidence heading into season 2014. We feel like this is our game to lose, really, and the boys are confident that they can, and will pull out the win against the Bulldogs. James MacDonald goes out, and Cameron Pedersen is back into the side. ​

 

[Grockadoc]

MELBOURNE: 18.6.114 DEF. WESTERN BULLDOGS: 17.11.113

Possessions: Kent 32, Viney 25, McKenzie 21, Jones, Clark 20.
Goals: Clark 5, Dawes 3, Jamar, Watts, Sylvia, Davey, Pedersen, Viney, Gawn, McKenzie, Toumpas, Howe.
Best: Jamar, Clark, Kent, Dawes, Viney.


Press Conference:

Again we were involved in a close game. We managed to win by a solitary point against a Bulldogs side that made a very strong charge in the last quarter, kicking 7 goals to our 1. Credit to the boys, they managed to grind out a nailbiting win, and I tend to favour matches like these, where it is all on the line with only a couple of minutes left and anyone could win. It gets the players used to pressure situations, ad you really get to see the differences in how they react under pressure. Dean Kent was fantastic today, and Mitch Clark was terrific again, finishing the season with another 5 goal haul. This win means we had a 50% win rate this season, winning 11 games, and losing 11. If you had told me at the start of the season you would miss finals by a couple of games and break even with your wins and losses, I would have been ecstatic. Our boys were fantastic this year, and this win should set us up with the belief and confidence that we gained not just from this game, but from this year, and carry it on into season 2014.​

 

[Grockadoc]

FINISHED 10TH OVERALL, 11 WINS, 11 LOSSES 94.71%

END OF SEASON STATS LEADERS:

Possessions: J. Viney (613)
Goals: M. Clark (93)
Marks: C. Dawes (132)
Tackles: D. Rodan (113)
Clearances: J. Trengove (124)
Hardball Gets: L. Tapscott (118)
Hitouts: M. Jamar (449)​

 

[Grockadoc]

Melbourne Young Gun, Jack Viney has won the Keith "Bluey" Truscott Memorial Trophy for being the Club's Best and Fairest player of 2013, in just his debut season. Viney enjoyed a stellar year, and won many plaudits for his attack on the ball, and toughness at the contest, and had silk and class to go with it, showing that he has the potential to be one of Melbourne's truly great players. Mitch Clark was awarded the Sid Anderson Memorial Trophy for finsishing second in the Club's Best and Fairest Count.​

 

[Grockadoc]

2013 TRADE WEEK:

J. Tynan, M. Evans and Pick 60 to St. Kilda for S. Fisher and Pick 66.

N. Jetta to Adelaide for Pick 42.

R. Bail, Pick 128 to Brisbane for A. McGrath.

J. Howe to Port Adelaide for Pick 4.

T. Davis to North Melbourne for Pick 54

S. Byrnes to Port Adelaide for Picks 39, 73, 74.

J. MacDonald, Picks 43, 54 to Adaide for Pick 25.

Pick 111 to Richmond for Pick 61

Pick 94 to Hawthorn for Pick 67.

Pick 77 to Geelong for Pick 62.

Pick 74 to Carlton for Pick 65

Pick 73 to Western Bulldogs for Pick 64.

M. Jones to Fremantle for Picks 46, 63.​

 

[Grockadoc]

2013 TRADE WEEK SUMMARY:

OUT:

J. Tynan, M. Evans, N. Jetta, R. Bail, J. Howe, T. Davis, S. Byrnes, J. MacDonald, M. Jones, Picks 43, 54, 60, 73, 74, 77, 94, 111, 128


IN:

S. Fisher, A. McGrath, Picks 4, 25, 39, 42, 46, 54, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67.


FINALISED DRAFT PICKS:

4, 7, 25, 26, 39, 42, 46, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67​

 

[haydo]

Quite a successful year from the Demons if i say so myself. They have that winning culture around the place now and almost making the finals was just a bonus in the end.
Some good trading on your behalf, bringing in some draft picks to hopefully build the young squad up for the future to tilt at a Premiership in 4-5 years time.

 

[Grockadoc]

Quite a successful year from the Demons if i say so myself. They have that winning culture around the place now and almost making the finals was just a bonus in the end.
Some good trading on your behalf, bringing in some draft picks to hopefully build the young squad up for the future to tilt at a Premiership in 4-5 years time.

Agree. The draft this year is quiet strong. I was a bit iffy on trading Jeremy Howe, but when pick 4 was offered for him, combined with the fact we have Watts, Clark, Dawes and Hogan, he wasn't really a necessity and in turn we get 2 top 10 picks.

 

[Grockadoc]

2013 NAB AFL DRAFT:

Selection 4: Landon McClarnan

Age: 18
Height: 193 cm.
Weight: 96 kg.
Position: Tall Defender
Overall: 75
Peak: 96
Potential: ELITE

Coaches Thoughts:

Landon was the best performed Key Defender in the National Championships, conceding only 7 goals directly across the championships. With our noted lack of quality Key Defenders outside of James Frawley, we targeted an older Key Defender in Sam Fisher and pulled the trigger on Landon, who we feel working with James Frawley has the potential to be a very solid AFL Key Back duo. Landon is exceptional at spoiling the ball in marking contests, as well as on the lead, and is a strong contested mark. However, his disposal can be a little erratic at times, and he isn't always the most focused player, with his concentration slipping occasionally. We feel that his potential was what we needed, and as a result, this was a needs based pick.




Selection 7: Paul Garthwaite

Age: 18
Height: 183 cm.
Weight: 87 kg.
Position: Inside Midfielder
Overall: 74
Peak: 97
Potential: ELITE

Coaches Thoughts:

Paul is an absolute beast of a player. He is built like a bull, and he really uses it to his advantage, smashing into packs, using his body as a battering ram with little regard for his own safety. Along with his size, Paul is a fantastic athlete, registering the highest Beep Test score of anyone else at the combine, reaching 16.3, showing he has the potential to be an outside gut running mid. With David Rodan getting on, we felt that Paul was almost the perfect replacement for him, given their play styles, and body types are almost identical. Although Paul is hard at the contest, and is very physical, his disposals is a worry. We feel though, in the role we want him to play as an extractor, that his footskills aren't really needed as much as say, if he was an outside mid. He has terrific hands in close, and using them to his advantage in a contest is going to be a real asset to us in the future.




Selection 25: Joseph Judge

Age: 19
Height: 180 cm.
Weight: 81 kg.
Position: Tagger/Small Defender
Overall: 71
Peak: 90
Potential: EXCELLENT

Coaches Thoughts:

Joseph is an extremely hard at it, no fuss type of footballer who plays a shutdown role, be it in the midfield, or in defence. We are lacking a defensively minded player, and we feel Joseph is probably the best at it in the Draft. He just seems to have the innate ability to completely negate his opponent. We feel this could be useful coming up against sides with multiple small forwards such as Carlton, or sides with a solid midfield such as Hawthorn or Geelong. Being so defensively minded, Joseph doesn't really seem to have the capability to win his own football, or rack up disposals, but that should come with time in the AFL system.




Selection 26: Brandon Lampon

Age: 17
Height: 184 cm.
Weight: 88 kg.
Position: Small Defender
Overall: 67
Peak: 92
Potential: EXCELLENT

Coaches Thoughts:

Brandon is very similar to Joseph Judge in that the is a small, shut-down player, who can negate his opponent effectively. Brandon is a very raw prospect, but his potential is evident. He is very quick, and has exceptional agility, along him to close down space between opponents, and is very difficult to sidestep. He is a tackling machine, and loves the hard stuff. However, Brandon is very raw, having only played football for the past couple of years, and he is still adapting to the game. His disposal is also questionable, and his attitude is something that needs to be worked on, but we felt he was the best available player at this pick, and has the potential to become a VERY GOOD AFL player.




Selection 39: Jonathon Mulligan

Age: 18
Height: 188 cm.
Weight: 91 kg.
Position: Inside Midfielder
Overall: 71
Peak: 88
Potential: EXCELLENT

Coaches Thoughts:

Another strong bodied Midfielder, this time, taken not so much as a need, but as a best available type pick. Jonathon is an extremely strong midfielder, with good skills, and an accurate kick. He loves the hard contest, something that I made sure all of our draftees have, because AFL is a physical game. He is a good mark, but he is below par, endurance and fitness wise, and is a project player for us at the moment. We think he could have a strong career at AFL level, provided he is prepared to work hard and train hard.


ALL OTHER SELECTIONS PASSED.​

 

[Grockadoc]

2013 PRE-SEASON DRAFT:

Selection 7: Jackson Ramsay (Tall Defender)
Selection 24: Matthew McDonough (Small Forward)
Selection 41: Cameron Richardson (Small Forward)
Selection 58: Tony Armstrong. (Tall Forward)


2013 ROOKIE DRAFT:

Selection 7: Peter Cox (Outside Midfielder)
Selection 24: Erick Bragdon (Ruckman)
Selection 41: Kobe Delahull (Small Forward)
Selection 58: Matthew Mayo (Outside Midfielder)​

 

[Grockadoc]

I'm not going to give a preview of the game anymore, guys, I'm just going to do a season recap.

 

[Grockadoc]

SEASON 2014 RECAP:

FINISHED: 11th, 10 WINS, 12 LOSSES, 95.51%

CLUB LEADERS:

Possessions: D. Rodan (557)
Goals: C. Dawes (88)
Marks: C. Dawes (153)
Tackles: S. Fisher (118)
Clearances: D. Kent (110)
Hardball Gets: L. Tapscott (77)
Hitouts: M. Jamar (659)


Coaches thoughts:

Another inconsistent year for us, this time, in terms of injuries. We really struggled to get all of our best 22 players on the field at the same time, as because of that, couldn't really string together any consistency. Despite that, the boys managed to knock of the two reigning grand finalists, and 3 of the top 4 from last year. Chris Dawes and Mitch Clark worked well together, kicking 170 goals between them, David Rodan was again outstanding this season, which is fantastic because, combined with his leadership qualities and clubsmanship, he is a real asset to this club.​

 

[Grockadoc]

2014 TRADE WEEK:

L. Dunn, Pick 78 to Port Adelaide for A. Carlile.

R. Taggert, J. Judge to Collingwood for Picks 16, 29, 32, 35

T. Gillies, Pick 32 to Hawthorn for Picks 18, 64

J. Watts to Geelong for Pick 4.

Picks 29, 35, 44 to Hawthorn for Picks 22, 47.


OUT:

L. Dunn, R. Taggert, J. Judge, J. Watts, Picks 29, 32, 35, 44, 78

IN:

A. Carlile, Picks 4, 16, 18, 22, 47, 64.​

 

[Grockadoc]

2014 NATIONAL DRAFT:


PICK 4:

Cole Barnes

Age: 18
Height: 192 cm.
Weight: 95 kg.
Position: Tall Defender
Overall: 75
Peak: 95
Player Comparison: Landon McClarnan (MELB)



PICK 7:

Devin Backhouse

Age: 17
Height: 185 cm.
Weight: 85 kg.
Position: Outside Midfielder
Overall: 71
Peak: 94
Player Comparison: Patrick Dangerfield (ADEL)



PICK 16:

Robert Dunham

Age: 17
Height: 192 cm.
Weight: 96 kg.
Position: Tall Forward
Overall: 67
Peak: 89
Player Comparison: Chris Dawes (MELB)



PICK 18:

Aiden Lines

Age: 17
Height: 193 cm.
Weight: 96 kg.
Position: Tall Forward
Overall: 65
Peak: 89
Player Comparison: Jack Riewoldt (RICH)



PICK 22:

Cristian Pauna

Age: 19
Height: 186 cm.
Weight: 92 kg.
Position: Outside Midfielder/Small Forward
Overall: 73
Peak: 89
Player Comparison: Jobe Watson (ESS)



PICK 27:

Raymond Alexander

Age: 18
Height: 179 cm.
Weight: 88 kg.
Position: Inside Midfielder
Overall: 73
Peak: 89
Player Comparison: Joel Selwood​

 

[Grockadoc]

2014 PRESEASON DRAFT:

Brant Colledge (Tall Forward)
Robert Warnock (Ruck)
Lachie Neale (Outside Mid)
Victor Toy (Inside Mid)



2014 ROOKIE DRAFT:

Adrian Gooding (Outside Midfielder)
Brett Goodes (Small Defender)
Michael Wovenden (Small Defender)
Michael Hartley (Tall Defender)​

 

[haydo]

Reading this story is making me think about getting back into Premiership coach to do a Demons story

 

[Grockadoc]

SEASON 2015 RECAP:

FINISHED: 8TH, 11 WINS, 11 LOSSES 103.66%

ELIMINATED IN ELIMINATION BY GOLD COAST BY 3 POINTS.



CLUB STATS LEADERS:

Possessions: C. Sylvia (559)
Goals: C. Dawes (105)
Marks: M. Clark (138)
Tackles: J. Frawley (101)
Clearances: J. Toumpas (101)
Hardball Gets: S. Fisher (126)
Hitouts: M. Jamar (576)


Coaches Thoughts:

A good year for us this year, playing finals for the first time in a long, long time. Our boys played pretty well for the most part, but still inconsistencies arose in some games, and we didn't get the result we were after. A few injuries to key players such as Nathan Jones, James Frawley and Mark Jamar really put us back a little bit, but credit to the boys, managed to pull through and crack through for finals. We are looking forward to seeing if we can go even further into finals in 2016.​

 

[Grockadoc]

2015 TRADE WEEK:

C Dawes, A. McGrath, Pick 45 to Richmond for B. Deledio, S. Tuck, Pick 9.
B. Colledge to North Melbourne for Picks 21, 38
A. Davey, C. Sinclair to St. Kilda for Pick 36

OUT:

C. Dawes, A. McGrath, B. Colledge, C. Sinclair, Pick 45.

IN:

B. Deledio, S. Tuck, Picks 9, 21, 36, 38.​