Melbourne Demons odds

Melbourne FC 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.

MFC’s recent history is far less auspicious. Since the infamous sacking of six-time premiership coach Norm Smith in 1965, the once-mighty Demons have claimed the wooden spoon seven times and played in only two grand finals. With the Western Bulldogs’ fairytale win in 2016, Melbourne now hold the longest active streak without a premiership.

However, there is an air of optimism around the club these days. Membership is at an all-time high after Simon Goodwin steered a young, talented team to the preliminary finals in 2018, and many are predicting even better things from the Dees this year.

The question is: where do Melbourne sit in the race for the 2019 AFL Premiership title? Let’s find out.

About the Melbourne Football Club

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Best Melbourne bets for the 2019 AFL season

There are dozens of AFL futures markets for Melbourne, but where are they likely to return some real value?

Click on the tabs below to get more analysis on these markets:

• Melbourne 2019 premiership betting
  Melbourne were absolutely humiliated by West Coast in the preliminary finals, but let’s not forget that they got there in the first place. The young Dees will be all the better for that experience, however, and you will not be alone if you back them to go all the way in 2019.
  
• Top 4 betting
  The Demons only just missed out on a place in the top four last season and should fancy their chances this time with Hawthorn expected to slide down the ladder. Others will have designs on that spot – namely Adelaide, Essendon, Geelong, GWS and Sydney – but Melbourne are in the box seat.
  
• Brownlow Medal betting
  How do you split Angus Brayshaw, Max Gawn and Clayton Oliver? All three have excellent form in the Brownlow Medal count, with Brayshaw (21 votes) and Gawn (20 votes) both finishing in the top four last season. Each of those three is a very good chance to go high again this year.
  
• Rising Star betting
  Like last year, the Redlegs are lacking a serious candidate in AFL Rising Star betting. The pick of the long shots in Harrison Petty, who made his debut in a two-point defeat to St Kilda last year.
  
• Coleman Medal betting
  Tom McDonald emerged as Melbourne’s number one forward last year with 53 goals in 20 games. The question is: can he take that step up and match the likes of Buddy Franklin, Josh Kennedy and Jack Riewoldt? The North Ballarat product might find it a little harder this season without Jesse Hogan drawing the attention of opposition defenders.
  

Melbourne 2019 AFL fixture

Demons players to watch in 2019

Steven May
Born: 10/1/1992
Games: 123
Goals: 21
Position: Defender

Is this the signing that puts the Dees into premiership contention? May was co-captain at the Gold Coast Suns for two years and brings invaluable leadership skills along with his intercept marking, strength in the contest and all-round defensive nous.

Angus Brayshaw
Born: 9/1/1996
Games: 58
Goals: 28
Position: Midfielder

It wasn’t long ago that Brayshaw’s career was on the line after he suffered a series of concussions. Now, following a breakout year in which he ran third in the Brownlow, the gutsy on-baller is a vital component in Melbourne’s premiership push.

Christian Petracca
Born: 4/1/1996
Games: 63
Goals: 57
Position: Half-forward

Petracca might be the most talented player on Melbourne’s list, but he is yet to match his obvious ability with the consistency required of an AFL footballer. If it all comes together for him this year, the rest of the competition had better watch out.

Melbourne records, stats and history

• Player records
  Most matches: 306 – David Neitz (1993-2008)
  Most career goals: 631 – David Neitz
  Most goals in a season: 97 – Fred Fanning (1947)
  Most goals in a match: 18 – Fred Fanning (vs. St Kilda, 1947)
  Best and fairest awards: Four – Allan La Fontaine (1935, 1936, 1941-42) and Jim Stynes (1991, 1995-97)
  
• Team records
  Most wins in a season: 16 (1958 and 1990)
  Most consecutive wins: 19 (1955-56)
  Highest score in a match: 28.14.182 (vs. North Melbourne, 1986 and 1991)
  Highest winning margin: 141 (vs. Hawthorn, 1926)
  Highest home attendance: 99,256 (vs. Collingwood, 1958)
  
• Melbourne FC history
  Without the Melbourne Football Club, there is no Australian rules football.

  The team’s origins can be traced back to 1958, 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.

  The club has never been the same since. Although Smith returned and coached another two seasons, the damage was done and the glory days were over. Melbourne went 23 years without playing finals and have reached the big dance only twice since ’64, losing to mighty Hawthorn in 1988 and to the all-conquering Essendon side of 2000.

  Events of the past two decades will give MFC supporters hope that sunny days are just around the corner. Since the Brisbane Lions broke their duck in 2001, the Sydney Swans, Geelong, Western Bulldogs and Richmond have all snapped lengthy premiership droughts. Can Simon Goodwin lift the Curse of the Red Fox once and for all?
  

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