And now for the Dees.
List:
So, the Dees have followed the Hawks and Tiges. They’ve traded off the players who didn’t want to be there anymore.
Only problem was they traded off most of their draft picks for experienced players from other clubs. Mihocek, Steele, Jiath and Heath will be useful players in the short term, and they did pick up six juniors including two developing basketballers anyway.
The real positive is that the juniors of Melbourne over the last few years are now coming through, so their twilighters can continue to be moved on, with talented younger replacements coming through.
Melbourne won seven games last season with all their champions. One would guess they may manage about five without them.
Select 23:
The Melbourne back half is experienced and good. They need to keep this stable, while slowly giving their younger defenders a taste.
I reckon the midfield will be okay. Steele is a very good inside midfielder, while Culley looks to have some talent as a tall goal-kicking midfielder.
I think some juniors will step up to take the extra opportunity offered.
I’ve altered the balance of their forward half, with fewer key tall forwards. Mihocek should walk into a key forward post, unfortunately pushing Jefferson back to the magoos again.
Heath is a good supporting ruck to Gawn, who should grow with regular rotations.
Hopefully, with time, their juniors will continue developing.
B: Salem, May, Turner
HB: Rivers, McDonald, Bowey
C: Langdon, Viney, Windsor
HF: Langford, Van Rooyen, Culley
F: Chandler, Mihocek, Fritsch
R: Gawn, Steele, K.Pickett
I: Sparrow, Lindsay, Jiath, Petty, Heath
You can follow all my list updates as they become available at https://www.ozfootylistmanager.com/2026-lists-new.html
Next up, the speedy Shinboners.
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About
It was 25 years ago that I began developing a model for analysing footy squad lists for the purpose of improving those lists into a premiership window. Since then, the model has been used to successfully predict premiership clubs and to improve either lop-sided or underdeveloped lists into premiership lists. Indeed, the model was used for an article that I had published as a double page spread in The Age 2005 Pre-Season magazine. Over the 25 years, I have analysed the annual lists of one particular club but have used it for other clubs upon request. It has always been on my bucket list to display the lists of all the clubs, using the model, which I've done since 2021 on my website - OzFootyListManager.com
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