‘Just be ready’: Coach’s early message to Demons swingman that hinted at selection shock

Harry Petty is prepared for the unpredictable.

Shifted from attack back into defence to start this season, Melbourne senior coach Simon Goodwin had warned him in the pre-season to be ready to play a swingman role depending on the Demons’ needs.

And in the wake of a five-game winless skid to begin the season, Goodwin called Petty’s number, throwing the 25-year-old back into the forward line for last Saturday’s shock win over Fremantle.

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It came in the same week Goodwin and his match committee sensationally axed underperforming forwards Bayley Fritsch and Jacob van Rooyen.

And even with defenders Jake Lever and Steven May shelved with injuries, the Dees were content to see Petty ahead of the footy.

All the 192-centimetre tall had been asked to do were the basics; compete and try to bring the ball to ground. He did that, and then some.

The South Australian turned heads against the Dockers, snagging four majors from 10 disposals and five marks as Melbourne was far more productive offensively, kicking a season-high 107 points — tying its previous-season-high 74 before the half-time siren.

“Bit of a relief, I reckon,” a smiling Petty told foxfooty.com.au of the Demons getting off the mark in 2025.

“I think we were doing so much right, and the previous games we just let ourselves down with speed of our kill. We were getting a hell of a lot more good entries; we just weren’t capitalising on it.

“Feel like it’s a bit of a relief we were able to capitalise on it and hit the scoreboard.”

Petty said he felt Goodwin’s philosophy was starting to get through to the playing group, with Melbourne booting 12 first-half goals.

“We had a good look this week at a few things that we thought we needed to improve on, and we came into this game knowing what we needed to do, and I felt like we did that,” he said.

“I felt like we moved well (as a forward-line collective). We know what we needed to do, it was just execution. It felt like we got that (on Saturday).”

Four goals was Petty’s best scoring output since he dobbed six against Richmond in 2023, having struggled for form as an attacker last season and been the subject of criticism. That 2023 campaign was cut short due to a Lisfranc injury.

He revealed what the conversations with Goodwin have been like with regards to shifting back and forth between both ends of the ground.

“At the start of the pre-season, he said ‘you could be forward or back, just be ready for both’,” Petty said of his coach’s message before the campaign began.

“I got told probably midway through the week that I was going to play forward. I know what I have to do there, all I had to do was compete, try and bring the ball to ground, mark it if I get a chance, and put on pressure when the ball’s on the ground.

“I feel like we did that really well.”

The magnet move almost didn’t happen with May a late exclusion from Goodwin’s initial Round 6 side due to a groin issue.

“I actually had no idea (if he’d still be playing forward),” Petty said. “It was when ‘Maysy’ was a late out I was sort of questioning if I’d go forward.

“But (I’ve) got complete trust in our backline, Blake Howes came in and I felt like he did a great job, played a lot taller today and he did an awesome job.

“We’ve got complete trust in those who come in. The VFL program’s really good down there, so we’ve just got to keep chipping away and keep taking little wins.”

Petty says playing forward isn’t necessarily a preference, adding that he is none the wiser as to whether it’s a long-term plan from the coaching staff.

“I’m just happy to be out there,” he said. “I’ve missed too much footy with injuries (previously), I’m happy to be either end (and) just happy playing footy again.

“I honestly have no idea (if he’ll remain forward); I’ll just play where I’m told to play. Played alright today, so probably assuming I’ll be forward next week depending on injuries throughout the week and everything, but I’m just happy to be out there playing footy.”

Goodwin in his post-match press conference explained his omissions of Fritsch and van Rooyen.

“Obviously, they went out of the team because we wanted them to find some form,” Goodwin said on Saturday.

“They’re both incredibly valued players within our four walls, but we need to get them in form. What we saw today in the front half of the ground is exactly what we’re asking; that real ability to compete at air and ground and get after the opposition.

“I thought the forwards did a great job today, I thought Tom Fullarton — although he didn’t have a big game on the stat sheet — was able to do that, get the ball to ground, Harrison Petty the same … I thought the forwards operated really well today together.”

The Demons will look to make it back-to-back wins when they face Richmond on Anzac Day Eve who pose as no straightforward task after they took down previously-undefeated Gold Coast last Saturday night.

And while external pressure on Goodwin has eased momentarily, his side will still enter having won just one game from six thus far — but Petty said the heat hasn’t been overbearing.

“I feel like we’ve been really good,” Petty said of the club dealing with outside criticism.

“We’ve just sort of got to wipe that to the side and focus on what we can control, and that’s playing football.

“I feel like, as a club, we deal with that really well, and we’ve just got to put our best foot forward on the ground.”