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SELECT š Hagley Oval feed
Ox: Why Iām worried about Melbourne in 2026
SENĀ ā¢ Ā December 5th, 2025 9:44 am
Melbourne endured an off-field of significant change after a tough 2025 season.
The Demons earlier parted ways with premiership coach Simon Goodwin before star midfielders Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver, and talented half-back Judd McVee, all left the club.
New senior coach Steven King has a massive job on his hands to get the Demons up and going again but it wonāt be in 2026, according to club great David Schwarz.
The 173-game, 243-goal best and fairest Dee just cannot see them improving on 2025ās seven wins and 14th-placed finish.
Schwarz was asked: Do you see them rising or falling in 2026?
āFalling. Theyāve lost three good players,ā the Ox told SEN WA Breakfast.
āMcVee is a good player, and then you lose Oliver and Petracca. So are you going to be able to replace them? Not a chance. Youāre not going to replace the two of them anyway.
āYouāve got a new coach, a new game plan, a pretty inexperienced coaching panel.
āIām a bit worried about Melbourne. If they can hold 10th to 12th I think thatās a good result, but they may slip down to 14th, 15th or 16th maybe.ā
The Demons also lost Charlie Spargo to North Melbourne in the trade period.
They did bring in Brody Mihocek from Collingwood, Changkuoth Jiath from Hawthorn, Jack Steele and Max Heath from St Kilda, while adding father-son prospect Kalani White and selecting Xavier Taylor and Latrelle Pickett in the first round of the draft.
