Melbourne had a terrible year in 2024.
After finishing fourth on the ladder in 2023 and being bundled out in straight sets with close losses to Collingwood (seven points) and Carlton (two points) the Demons – with no major change of personnel – were expected to bounce back in 2024.
However, a major injury to star player Christian Petracca exposed some dissension in the club and the performance of the player group fell away to such an extent that the club finished 14th – 10 positions below their 2023 performance.
The requirement to continue with Joel Smith who faced serious drug charges on their list and the premature retirement of Angus Brayshaw added to the club’s woes and will make 2025 a watershed year for Melbourne.
Top 100 Game Players Lost: 2.
From the 2024 list, two quality players will be missing in 2025.
Angus Brawshaw (#44) did not play a game in 2024 after retiring on medical advice early in the season and this was a big blow for the club in 2024.
Alex Neal-Bullen (#34) was traded to Adelaide for personal reasons and will be another big loss to the Demons in 2025.
Top 100 Game Players recruited from other clubs: 0.
Melbourne was a minor player in this year’s trade period, picking up only two players who did not have Top 100 credentials at their previous club.
Alex Neal-Bullen of the Demons and Jordan Dawson of the Crows. (Photo by Mark Brake/AFL Photos/via Getty Images)
Current Top 100 Game Players: 5.
Melbourne is well-placed among the top 100 game players.
They have a total of seven, and three of those players are already listed in the Demons’ Top 20 game players: Tom McDonald (#12), Max Gawn (#18) and Jack Viney (#19).
Potential Top 100 Game Players Next Season: 4.
Jake Lever, at about the time he will disappear from Adelaide’s Top 100 game players list will make it onto Melbourne’s.
Jake Melksham should also make it onto the list during the 2025 season.
Steven May and Ed Langdon will both need near-perfect attendance for the season to also join the list.
Players no longer qualified for the Top 100 Game Players: 0.
No players dropped off the Top 100 game players list in 2024, but it is time to pay tribute to Charlie Lilley and John Lord who currently sit jointly in the hot seat in the 100th position and no doubt will fall from glory during the 2025 season.
Charlie Lilley will have remained on Melbourne’s Top 100 game players list for exactly 100 years since his retirement in 1925. He would have played many more games except that he spent three years serving his country during the First World War.
During this time, he played in the famous Pioneer Exhibition Game in London in 1916.
John Lord followed in his father’s footsteps and played for Melbourne from 1957 until 1965, picking up four premiership medals along the way. He died in 2021 aged 84 and therefore had the satisfaction of remaining a Top 100 game player for all of his life after retiring from football.
Top 100 Goal Scorers Lost: 1.
Neal-Bullen (#68) was also a centurion goal scorer.
Top 100 Goal Scorers recruited from other clubs: 0.
(Photo by Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images)
Current Top 100 Goal Scorers: 6.
From the current Top 100 game players list, Jack Viney, Clayton Oliver and Christian Salem do not make the Top 100 goal scorers list, but are replaced by Kysiaih Pickett (#40) and Jake Melksham (eq #61)
Potential Top 100 Goal Scorers Next Season: 1.
The emerging Jacob Van Rooyen with a good year could make the list.
Players no longer qualified for the Top 100 Goal Scorers: 0.
No players dropped off the list this season, but again a mention of John Lord who also sits in this hot seat (#100) with now Collingwood player Jeremy Howe.
Who’s in your ultimate team? Pick the best team and compete with other fans for daily prizes on Draftstars. For the best odds on the game try out Aussie bookmaker PlayUp. Think. Is this a bet you really want to place? Set a deposit limit.
It’s only January, that’s what I keep trying to tell myself. Naturally, as a typical pessimistic Demons fanatic I find myself comparing the latest…
Luckless Melbourne star Christian Petracca has suffered a setback to his recovery from his traumatic mid-season AFL injury, cracking a rib at training. The…
I have a good mate who is very dirty on Collingwood. Now that is nothing unusual, as he barracks for Melbourne. However, unlike most…
Melbourne captain Max Gawn will not return to pre-season training until late January after a freak incident. Contact to Gawn's throat in a training…
Melbourne have settled out of court with former president Glen Bartlett and moved to refute coach Simon Goodwin's illicit drug allegations. The announcement represents…
