They let two of their best go, and they’ve improved: The Demons’ list masterstroke

April 24, 2026 — 5:00am

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Melbourne list boss Tim Lamb found himself in an unfamiliar position at the end of last year.

Heralded as a key architect in the Demons’ drought-busting 2021 premiership, the former long-serving Victoria Police officer was suddenly under pressure – at least externally – for how he handled the high-profile exits of champion midfielders Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver.

It followed another disastrous season for Melbourne that cost coach Simon Goodwin his job.

Both Petracca and Oliver showed interest in playing elsewhere 12 months before the Demons eventually traded the contracted pair in wildly contrasting deals to Gold Coast and GWS in October.

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They previously refused to trade Oliver despite him meeting with Geelong – although Lamb disputed that he was “desperate” to go – and convinced Petracca to stay after the superstar aired a long list of grievances in the wake of gruesome injuries he suffered in the King’s Birthday game in 2024.

Oliver fetched Melbourne a lowly future third-round selection, and they will continue to pay a chunk of his contract, whereas the Dees scored two top-10 picks and a 2026 first-rounder as the major return for Petracca.

Lamb’s critics dug deeper.

He did not have a hit among any of Luke Dunstan, Brodie Grundy, Josh Schache, Lachie Hunter, Tom Fullarton, Shane McAdam and Jack Billings during a period Melbourne lost the likes of Luke Jackson, Alex Neal-Bullen, Toby........

© Brisbane Times