Mitch Cleary on tough challenges ahead for Melbourne Demons after Angus Brayshaw’s AFL retirement

Melbourne has lost its Mr Fix It. Now coach Simon Goodwin has eight days to visit the shed and re-tool before a year of reckoning.

“Embarrassed,” to crash out of a second consecutive finals series in straight sets, throw in a drug controversy surrounding Joel Smith and off-field questions of Clayton Oliver and the Demons enter 2024 as the club deepest in the AFL furnace.

And they’ve since lost one of their most important players.

Medically retired in his prime at 28, Angus Brayshaw departs as a premiership star and a top-five finisher in the past two best and fairests. He was also the man who could plug a hole anywhere outside the ruck.

In the second half of last season when Oliver battled persistent hamstring setbacks, it was Brayshaw who became a first choice midfielder.

For 10 weeks, he averaged more than five clearances a game. Only vice captain Jack Viney attended more centre bounces as a midfielder while superstar Christian Petracca was swung forward to address the Demons’ scoring woes.

It’s that loss of flexibility that threatens to hamper Goodwin’s side in 2024, especially considering their depth has been further depleted.

When Petracca spent big minutes in attack, enter James Jordon at stoppages. Five games in the centre bounce rotation for five wins. The Demons now face their former premiership midfielder in the opening round after his Sydney free agency switch.

Flag-winning teammate James Harmes only managed nine matches last year but each included time at centre bounces.

Seen as surplus to requirements at AAMI Park, he secured a three-year deal at the Western Bulldogs. Ask his new ally Tom Liberatore just how valuable Harmes can be as a lockdown player and you’ll find a tenacious mature age onballer.

Petracca, Oliver and Viney at the feet of captain and four-time All-Australian ruckman Max Gawn is as strong as any starting quartet in the AFL.

However, there remain question marks on Oliver’s early season selection with no one willing to commit to him being there for opening night.

A month ago, there seemed more chance of Goodwin coming out of retirement than coaching Oliver against the Swans on March 7. But as weeks have progressed, and with the loss of Brayshaw confirmed, noise of Oliver playing out of Demons HQ has only grown.

But one injury and the whole system could unravel.

Last year’s premiers had six centre bounce options. Jordan De Goey, Scott Pendlebury, Tom Mitchell, Nick Daicos and Jack Crisp tasted success, while Taylor Adams missed out through injury after a season split between midfield and half-forward.

A year earlier, Cam Guthrie, Patrick Dangerfield, Joel Selwood, Brandan Parfitt, Mark Blicavs and Tom Atkins were Geelong’s top-six during their premiership run.

As Melbourne’s No. 4 onballer on the depth chart, more will be expected of 23-year-old Tom Sparrow this year with 74 games under his belt.

Season 2020 first-round pick Bailey Laurie will get opportunities, however, he’s yet to attend an AFL centre bounce. Forward Alex Neal-Bullen is another who has been trialled through pre-season, yet he’s attended only 3 per cent of Melbourne centre bounces in the last four seasons.

The next rotations will come from a combination of half-backs Christian Salem and Trent Rivers — untried as midfielders — or their most dangerous small forward Kozzy Pickett. Talk about robbing Peter to pay Paul.

Ex-Saint Jack Billings arrives but isn’t an inside midfielder. Nor is top draftee Caleb Windsor who is eyeing off a wing role to begin 2024.

The Demons won’t be able to replace Brayshaw’s list spot until the mid-season rookie draft. An inside midfielder is likely to be top of the wish list.

Brayshaw is owed more than $3 million over the next four-and-a-half years. A deal between player, club and league is still to be finalised, but extra assistance is expected and Melbourne won’t be required to stump up the full amount.

Add in the fact that Ben Brown, Adam Tomlinson and Tom McDonald come off contract and that Smith almost certainly won’t play for the club again, the Demons will have a pool of money to splash come season’s end.

Bulldog Bailey Smith is off contract, Max Holmes isn’t in a rush to talk extensions with Geelong. Then there’s a free agent like Hugh McCluggage who would command in excess of $1.2 million a season if he was to even contemplate leaving the Lions.

During their dream finals run of 2021, the Demons made an audacious attempt to lure now-Blue Adam Cerra as he signalled a desire to leave Fremantle.

Midfield depth was front of mind then even with Harmes, Jordon and Brayshaw still on the books.

It’s much more of a problem now.