AFL greats David King and Leigh Montagna are at odds over their outlook for Melbourne’s prospects for 2024 after a turbulent off-season.
The Demons made headlines for the wrong reasons over the summer including ongoing drama surrounding Clayton Oliver and Joel Smith’s drug-related suspension to prompt questions of the club’s culture, while Angus Brayshaw last week sadly retired due to concussion.
It comes just three years after Melbourne’s drought-breaking premiership in 2021, however the Dees have since fallen out of finals in straight sets the last two seasons.
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Speaking on Fox Footy’s First Crack: Season Preview edition, King believes the off-season has put too much “stress” on the club that’ll ultimately cause it to tumble out of the top eight altogether.
“I think they’ve had a great run and been terrific as a football club. We laud their leaders — Gawn, Petracca, Viney, May and Lever — they’re hall of famers for the Melbourne Football Club,” the dual premiership Kangaroo began.
“But I just think there’s too many self inflicted wounds through one off-season and the stress of everything going on around the edges. You start wasting too much time on things outside of football.
“You stress the football club, not just these players, and it permeates through the group.”
King also highlighted Brayshaw would be a “huge loss” and the uncertainty around Oliver after the star midfielder’s interrupted pre-season, saying “there’s a potential for more things to go wrong than right” for Simon Goodwin’s side.
Beyond the club’s off-field issues, King believes the Demons have also lost quality depth players to leave the list thinner than in recent years.
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“I don’t think this list is as deep as what it was last year,” he added.
“They’ve allowed players to leave that weren’t probably in their best 20 players, but somewhere between 20 and 30. Guys like Harmes, Jordon and Grundy and Hibberd retires.
“There’s a little changing of the guard with that next wrung of player, which puts more stress on those senior players to lead the way.
“I just think the stress on the football club will have an impact.”
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Montagna however saw things differently, suggesting the club’s stormy off-season could “galvanise” the playing group.
“I understand the club has got some issues they’re going to have to work through, but as a team, you can focus in and use that and say: ‘We are going to be as tight as ever’,” the Saints legend said.
“Collingwood has had some off-field indiscretions the last few years … they still came through it and won a flag. Richmond had some issues in the hub.
“Sometimes I think it’s overplayed. I think this will be like the redeem team and I think they’ll have a chip on their shoulder with how they’ve gone out in the finals.
“I believe the leaders have still got some really good footy left in them. I also think there’s a lot of upside in some players — McVee, Bowey, Rivers, Pickett, van Rooyen, Chandler, Sparrow — they’ve still got a heap of improvement in them to go to the next level.
“They play 14 games at the MCG where we know they have a really strong record. I’ve just got faith they can bunker down as a group and go again.”
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