Earlier this year, Melbourne invited several dozen journalists and broadcasters to a breakfast in the MCC committee room. The club felt they had botched their messaging in recent years and were keen to shift the narrative. They spoke about “cleansing” and “trauma”. They locked down a new theme for the year: “Love. Play. Celebrate.” “Soul-searching was prioritised over Sherrins,” News Corp said.
At that point in the pre-season, there were grounds for optimism. There were still 16 premiership players on the list, several champions who seemed certain to leave had stayed, and some excellent young players were coming through. Despite losing to GWS Giants in round one, they gave every indication that they were a team for the long haul. They were clearly emotionally invested, their team defence was solid and they blooded five debutants, all of whom looked capable. The Giants, semi-finallists in 2024, played outstanding football in the final term but were arguably fortunate to pinch it.
