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Sport Nation
Healy’s radical suggestion to get the best out of young Demon
Lachlan Geleit • April 12th, 2025 4:00 pm
Brownlow Medallist Gerard Healy has put forth a radical suggestion to help spark some change at his former club Melbourne.
With the Demons struggling at 0-4 to start the 2025 season, Healy thinks that the club must try and look at where they’re headed in the future.
One part of the ground where the Demons could use some help is without doubt up forward as they possess the league’s second-worst attack so far this season.
A reason why the forward line is struggling is the effectiveness of Jacob Van Rooyen who is averaging eight disposals and one goal a game as the club’s number one key forward, and Healy thinks it’s time he’s tried down back to get some spark from another option inside 50.
“He (Van Rooyen) is just a bit down on confidence,” Healy said on SEN Sportsday.
“You know my longer-term thoughts, I think he's a defender. I think he's going to be a magnificent distributor off the back line.
“I haven't seen him make decisions with the ball enough, but if I was running the show at the Demons I'd be looking at it, ASAP.”
In replacing Van Rooyen up forward, Healy called for two-time All-Australian defender Steven May to swap places with the youngster.
Even though May is a star down back, Healy thinks the club could be better served by getting a look at Van Rooyen in his role.
“In fact, I'd almost go, ‘Steven May, you're still a great defender, but we need to try something that's going to work in the forward line’,” Healy said.
“I’d say, ‘Why don’t you go back to where you started up in the Gold Coast as a forward? Let's stick Van Rooyen back and let's have another look at where we're heading because we're heading nowhere fast at the moment’.”
The Dees will continue with an undermanned defence with Jake Lever out for the next eight weeks due to an ankle concern.
They meet Essendon at the Adelaide Oval on Saturday night from 7:35pm AEST.
