Scythe
Moderator
- Joined
- Aug 12, 2017
- Posts
- 37,379
- Reaction score
- 105,301
- Location
- Sydney
- AFL Club
- Melbourne
- Other Teams
- Orlando Magic, Mount Buller Demons
- Staff
- #1
Oh precious Sunday afternoon footy, how I've missed you as a permanent fixture of my weekend.
The new-look Dees are back in action for 2026, sans the likes of Simon Goodwin, Christian Petracca, Clayton Oliver, Steven May and Charlie Spargo, plus Jack Viney and Jake Bowey (temporarily).
In fact, in the super fun fantastic four and a half years since the 2021 flag, we've lost/canned 11 of the 23 players from that day, plus the senior coach, a bunch of assistant coaches, numerous sponsors, a few BigFooty moderators, a media team, a president and a CEO. We still don't have a home base, but maybe after we completely reset the club 2-3 more times we'll finally get there.
So why do I feel better about the Dees than I have in years? Outside of the blatantly obvious (the death of GoodyBall and everything it represented), Melbourne heads into 2026 with some clear air, the promise of an exciting gameplan (that actually seems legitimate this time), some terrific young talent headlined by the likes of the Picketts, Langford, Rivers, Windsor, Lindsay, Taylor, Turner, Culley and JVR, a good media department, plus the long-awaited return of Nuffkent.
In Round 1, we come up against this year's ultimate preseason hype team, St Kilda, who obliterated the trade and free agency market, signing a bunch of players who have have made a combined one (1) All-Australian team to some absolutely eye-watering deals. But they did re-sign the AFL's first two-million dollar man, and if we're being honest, he's worth every penny.
J Viney, three votes.
The new-look Dees are back in action for 2026, sans the likes of Simon Goodwin, Christian Petracca, Clayton Oliver, Steven May and Charlie Spargo, plus Jack Viney and Jake Bowey (temporarily).
In fact, in the super fun fantastic four and a half years since the 2021 flag, we've lost/canned 11 of the 23 players from that day, plus the senior coach, a bunch of assistant coaches, numerous sponsors, a few BigFooty moderators, a media team, a president and a CEO. We still don't have a home base, but maybe after we completely reset the club 2-3 more times we'll finally get there.
So why do I feel better about the Dees than I have in years? Outside of the blatantly obvious (the death of GoodyBall and everything it represented), Melbourne heads into 2026 with some clear air, the promise of an exciting gameplan (that actually seems legitimate this time), some terrific young talent headlined by the likes of the Picketts, Langford, Rivers, Windsor, Lindsay, Taylor, Turner, Culley and JVR, a good media department, plus the long-awaited return of Nuffkent.
In Round 1, we come up against this year's ultimate preseason hype team, St Kilda, who obliterated the trade and free agency market, signing a bunch of players who have have made a combined one (1) All-Australian team to some absolutely eye-watering deals. But they did re-sign the AFL's first two-million dollar man, and if we're being honest, he's worth every penny.
J Viney, three votes.
