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The Melbourne Football Club boasts a legacy as rich as any sporting organisation on the planet. Founded in May 1859, it is the world’s oldest professional football club of any variety.
After a season full off field issues in 2023, the same issues continued for Melbourne during 2024, most natably, the Christian Petracca saga which had the whole footy world talking after their Queen’s Birthday loss to Collingwood.
With the Dees missing their best player for the back half of the year, they struggled to kick a winning score and play with any consistency, which saw them finish in their lowest ladder position since 2020.
Can the Dees get back to the form that saw them challenge for AFL Premierships in 2021 and 2022 or will the problems persist? Let’s find out.
Established: | 1859 |
---|---|
Home ground: | Melbourne Cricket Ground |
Coach: | Simon Goodwin |
Captain: | Max Gawn |
Premierships: | 13 – 1900, 1926, 1939, 1940, 1941, 1948, 1955, 1956, 1957, 1959, 1960, 1964, 2021 |
2024 ladder finish: | 14th (11-12-0) |
Betting on futures markets surround the Melbourne Demons is easy, with all of the best Australian online betting sites boasting extensive AFL prices. We recommend always checking Demons odds on markets with multiple bookies, so you always get the best AFL odds.
2025 Premiership | Brownlow Medal | |
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Odds @ Marantelli Bet | +2500 | Christian Petracca +2000 |
See more Melbourne AFL futures odds at Bet365.com.au
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Round | Date | Opponent | Time (AEDT/AEST) | Venue |
---|---|---|---|---|
Opening Round | BYE | |||
1 | Sunday, March 16 | GWS Giants | 3:20 PM | MCG, VIC |
2 | Sunday, March 23 | North Melbourne Kangaroos | 3:20 PM | Marvel Stadium, VIC |
3 | Saturday, March 29 | Gold Coast Suns | 1:20 PM | MCG, VIC |
4 | Friday, April 4 | Geelong Cats | 7:40 PM | GMHBA Stadium, VIC |
5 | Saturday, April 12 | Essendon Bombers | 7:35 PM | Adelaide Oval, SA |
6 | Saturday, April 19 | Fremantle Dockers | 1:20 PM | MCG, VIC |
7 | Thursday, April 24 | Richmond Tigers | 7:30 PM | MCG, VIC |
8 | Saturday, May 3 | West Coast Eagles | 7:35 PM | Optus Stadium, WA |
9 | Saturday, May 10 | Hawthorn Hawks | 1:20 PM | MCG, VIC |
10 | Sunday, May 18 | Brisbane Lions | 3:20 PM | Gabba, QLD |
11 | Sunday, May 25 | Sydney Swans | 3:20 PM | MCG, VIC |
12 | Sunday, June 1 | St Kilda Saints | 3:20 PM | TIO Traeger Park, NT |
13 | Monday, June 9 | Collingwood Magpies | 3:20 PM | MCG, VIC |
14 | Sunday, June 15 | Port Adelaide Power | 3:20 PM | Adelaide Oval, SA |
15 | BYE | |||
16 | TBC | Gold Coast Suns | TBC | People First Stadium, QLD |
17 | TBC | Adelaide Crows | TBC | Adelaide Oval, SA |
18 | TBC | North Melbourne Kangaroos | TBC | MCG, VIC |
19 | TBC | Carlton Blues | TBC | MCG, VIC |
20 | TBC | St Kilda Saints | TBC | Marvel Stadium, VIC |
21 | TBC | West Coast Eagles | TBC | Marvel Stadium, VIC |
22 | TBC | Western Bulldogs | TBC | MCG, VIC |
23 | TBC | Hawthorn Hawks | TBC | MCG, VIC |
24 | TBC | Collingwood Magpies | TBC | MCG, VIC |
Born: 22/7/1997
Games: 183
Goals: 54
Position: Midfielder
We made Clayton Oliver a player to watch for the Dees last year, and after a subpar season by his standards in 2024, he stands out as one of the must-watch players at Melbourne for this year. The 27-year-old midfielder has won four best and fairest awards at the Dees, but his last two seasons, which were marred by off-field issues and injuries, have been well below his best. Oliver averaged 23 disposals in 2024, which may sound good for most players, but over his 183-game career, he has averaged over 28 possessions per game. If Oliver can get his body right and rediscover his brilliant ball-winning ability in 2025, he could once again stamp himself as one of the game’s best inside midfielders.
Born: 16/4/2003
Games: 41
Goals: 58
Position: Forward
Melbourne has been searching for a key forward to lead the forward line since their premiership year in 2021, and they may have found what they are looking for in Jacob van Rooyen. The 21-year-old has continued to build his game and improve through his 41 games at the Dees. 2024 was his career-best season, kicking 30 goals from his 21 games while taking several pack marks like a key forward should. With another preseason under his belt, Van Rooyen is primed for another career year and, if he can stay fit, could register something north of 40 goals in 2025.
Born: 18/9/1992
Games: 232
Goals: 169
Position: Forward/Defender
Tom McDonald has played a number of positions throughout his career at Melbourne, and after spending four years as a forward for the Dees, he moved back into defence in 2024. The 32-year-old will be one of Melbourne’s key players in 2025, and if he can stay fit alongside Steven May and Jake Lever, the Dees’ defence could return to the heights they reached in 2021. Although he is moving into the twilight years of his career after 232 games for the Dees, expect McDonald to return to his dominant best down back, helping lead Melbourne to another finals berth.
The team’s origins can be traced back to 1858, when a group led by Victoria’s cricket captain, Tom Wills, published a letter calling for the codification of a new sport to keep players fit during the winter months. Meetings held at Parade Hotel the following May spawned ‘The Rules of the Melbourne Football Club’ – and so both MFC and Aussie rules were born.
While the Redlegs were the driving force behind footy’s early development, on-field success was scarce. They failed to win a VFA Premiership despite reaching the grand final four times and managed only a single VFL flag (1900) before the outbreak of World War I.
It was not until World War II that Melbourne became a true powerhouse of the competition. Frank ‘Checker’ Hughes coached the team to four premierships between 1933 and 1948, including three on the bounce from ’39 to ’41. Hughes is also widely credited with rebranding the club as the Demons.
The following two decades were even more glorious. Four-time premiership star Norm Smith was installed as coach in 1952 and Ron Barassi made his debut a year later. That pairing would lead Melbourne to six flags, including an astonishing run of five in six years from 1955 to 1960.
Everything changed in 1964. Shortly after helping the Dees to their 12th VFL title, Barassi left to take over as captain-coach at Carlton. Frictions between Smith and the Melbourne board – much of which had to do with Barassi’s departure – led to the superstar coach’s sensational axing during the ’65 season.
So came about the ‘Curse of the Red Fox’. After 1964, the Dees went the better part of six decades without winning a flag, reaching the big dance only twice – 1988 and 2000 – in that time. A massive overhaul starting in 2013 led to two critical appointments: Paul Roos as coach and Simon Goodwin as his assistant. Roos manned the helm while the Dees rebuilt their culture from the ground up, stepping aside in 2017 and handing the reins to Goodwin. Four years later, the club broke its premiership drought with a resounding win over the Western Bulldogs.
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