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Steven May portrayed the Dees' list as 'unbelievable'. But is it?
Steven May portrayed the Dees’ list as ‘unbelievable’. But is it?
Misplaced among Steven May’s provocative comment approximately how Melbourne ought to have “smoked” premiers Collingwood was his bullish assessment of their playing list.
The All-Australian protector portrayed the Demons’ list as “unbelievable”, in a gesture to the gathering of stars at the beat of the line-up, and the league-leading work from ability chiefs Tim Sheep and Jason Taylor.
For all May’s certainty, this club has the undesirable tag as the as it were group to exit the finals in straight sets in sequential a long time – which record takes after their drought-busting hail the past season, which activated all sorts of line expectations.
His comments at Melbourne’s club winner work were refreshingly genuine, and a break from the automated cliches numerous AFL footballers jog out. But they gone before a exchange period where his Evil presences misplaced or exchanged three (in fact periphery) players:
Brodie Grundy, James Jordon and James Harmes.
Is the list still extraordinary?
Stacking
Tom Fullarton’s unheralded entry as captain Max Gawn’s most recent ruck sidekick caps a two-year advancement in that position from Luke Jackson, the so-called unicorn who played a essential part within the match-winning third quarter of the 2021 fantastic last.
Shane McAdam, a gifted 181-centimetre forward, is Melbourne’s other trade addition this fortnight, and Lamb and Taylor typically have a surprise up their sleeve, so don’t rule out another.
They will hope Fullarton and McAdam can make an impact more akin to Lachie Hunter’s than Josh Schache’s, or even Grundy’s, out of last year’s recruits.
The Dees too stay within the choose one outline, with choices six and 11 in this year’s draft, indeed in case North Melbourne are top picks within the occasion West Coast concur to exchange it. But any Harley Reid heist is theoretical and still to play out.
Undeniable is that Melbourne’s profundity isn’t what it once was, and the list generally likely isn’t as great as 2021, with Grundy, Jordon and Harmes taking after Jackson, Jayden Chase, Toby Bedford and Sam Weideman out the entryway.
Michael Hibberd and Luke Dunstan too declared their retirement, and Jake Melksham will miss most of another season recuperating from an ACL crack.
The untidy Clayton Oliver situation is an continuous storyline, and may effortlessly ended up a genuine diversion, whereas the club’s much-discussed advances – and the conveyance to them – has been a issue for a long time.
Veterans Tom McDonald, 31, and Ben Brown, 31 in November, are entering the final year of their contracts and will have to be be altogether way better than they have been the past two seasons to expand their career past 2024.
The Devils are more likely to prioritise the Jacob van Rooyen-Harry Unimportant combination in assault, nearby the productive Bayley Fritsch, whereas McAdam includes to a smaller group, counting the hugely gifted Kysaiah Pickett, Alex Neal-Bullen, Kade Chandler and Charlie Spargo.
Adelaide still have another day of exchange period to undertake to alter Melbourne’s intellect, but Negligible, who is contracted until 2025, appears as great as certain to remain in ruddy and blue.
That is important because Petty may have a key role to play down the other end in the longer term, especially if Melbourne’s first-round draftee from last year, Matt Jefferson, can accelerate his development as a key forward.
May is still an outstanding defender but turns 32 in January, while Gawn is the same age in December.
Key defender Adam Tomlinson, who tested the market before Lamb and co. told him he would not be traded, is 29 years old, too, so Petty, 24 in November, is a major bookend piece of the puzzle.
As for the ruck, Fullarton – an ex-basketballer with 19 AFL matches to his name, but none this past season – is all that stands between coach Simon Goodwin having to turn to Schache or untried rookie-listers Will Verrall and Kyah Farris-White, in the event of a Gawn injury.
Gawn has played 21 or more games in every season from 2018 onwards, barring the COVID-19-shortened 2020 campaign, and Goodwin will hope like hell that durability continues.
Fullarton kicked 30 goals in 18 VFL games last season, but has only six in his short AFL career, so the jury is out on whether he can be any more capable up forward in the big league than Grundy, assuming Melbourne ever plan to select two ruckmen again.
Lamb’s done a brilliant retention job with the club’s stars and most promising youth, re-signing Oliver (2030), Christian Petracca (2029), Jake Lever and Angus Brayshaw (2028), Pickett and Trent Rivers (2027), Fritsch, Jefferson and Christian Salem (2026), and Gawn, May, Jack Viney and van Rooyen (2025) for the long term.
That core should ensure the Demons are perennial contenders at worst, but they need the likes of Bailey Laurie, Taj Woewodin, Daniel Turner and Blake Howes to help fill the depth void.
Otherwise, there is a risk club great Garry Lyon will be pontificating again about another failed season rather than reigniting the dynasty debate.
