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Live sport on SN this weekendWhy Luke Hodge is feeling bullish about the Demons in 2025
Sam Watson • February 25th, 2025 9:34 am
Hawthorn legend Luke Hodge is confident about Melbourne’s chances of returning to premiership contention this year.
The Demons secured back-to-back top-four finishes after winning the 2021 premiership, but a tumultuous year on and off the field saw them drop away to 14th in 2024.
Despite their struggles last year, Hodge believes a big pre-season from their prime movers in Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver can catapult them back into contention in 2025.
“I’m a little bit bullish on Melbourne,” the four-time premiership winner said on SEN’s Sportsday.
“Their defenders last year were injured a lot, Petracca was injured, Oliver wasn’t there. I’ve been keeping an eye on Clayton Oliver, I’ve heard a lot that he’s fit.
“Even when he was playing his great football, he probably had a little bit of puppy fat around him, the rig that I saw on Clayton Oliver about a month ago, I’d never seen that.
“If Petracca is back fit, the defenders are stable and uninjured, hopefully they can stay that way, and if Clayton can continue the form he’s had in the pre-season…
“I’m bullish on them and I expect them to be playing in September.”
Oliver was back to his best in Melbourne’s unofficial practice match win against North Melbourne on Saturday, picking up 21 disposals in three quarters.
However, Simon Goodwin opted to rest Petracca alongside Max Gawn, Bayley Fritsch, Christian Salem and Ed Langdon.
Unfortunately for the Demons, youngster Andy Moniz-Wakefield was ruled out for the season after suffering an ACL injury in the same game.
Melbourne will travel to Western Australia this weekend, where they’ll take on the Dockers in Mandurah in the AAMI Community Series - their last hit out before Round 1 against GWS.
Listen to Hodge's full chat with Gerard Healy and Kane Cornes here.
