The 'Weid' looking to sprout
After trading Jesse Hogan to Fremantle, Melbourne will be expecting big things out of Sam Weideman in his fourth season at AFL level. Weideman's commanding elimination finals performance against Geelong would give the Demons great hope that he has arrived as a player, but the challenge for the 195cm forward is producing that type of high-level football on a consistent basis. Weideman kicked 10 goals in 10 matches last season and he's got to the point of his career now, at 21, where he will be looking to play up to 20 games and doubling his 2018 output. Tom McDonald's role will also become increasingly important, especially given Weideman is still relatively inexperienced with just 20 games to his name.
After trading Jesse Hogan to Fremantle, Melbourne will be expecting big things out of Sam Weideman in his fourth season at AFL level. Weideman's commanding elimination finals performance against Geelong would give the Demons great hope that he has arrived as a player, but the challenge for the 195cm forward is producing that type of high-level football on a consistent basis. Weideman kicked 10 goals in 10 matches last season and he's got to the point of his career now, at 21, where he will be looking to play up to 20 games and doubling his 2018 output. Tom McDonald's role will also become increasingly important, especially given Weideman is still relatively inexperienced with just 20 games to his name.
Others to keep an eye on: The Demons have high hopes for key defender Harrison Petty, who managed one senior game in 2018. Joel Smith is another defender who should benefit from continuity after several injuries. Speedy midfielder Oskar Baker should push for senior selection next season and look for Jayden Hunt to bounce back after an injury-affected 2018 campaign.
