Demonbracket 2015 - Preview

As 2014 draws to a close the world turns its focus to the first big event on the year's football calendar, the first leg in a Grand Slam program which involves the Brownlow, the Best and Fairest and some other award that we haven't identified yet. It's a February tradition sweeter than Valentine's Day and less likely to leave you clutching crumpled flowers in the rain while tearfully listening to Against All Odds by Phil Collins. 

This is Demonbracket, and once again we welcome competitors from across the globe (OUT: New Zealand, IN: Brazil) to a cauldron of competition centered on the new Demonblog Towers. A wonderful world where you, the online Melbourne Football Club community and associated sympathisers, decide which fan favourite will be shaking hands and kissing babies as the Bracket Champion for the next 12 months.

For those of you who can't be bothered reading all the way down this year's competition will be run between Monday 2 and Tuesday 17 February 2015, with the first round draw revealed in a glittering ceremony live from the cabin of a China Southern Airlines jet/the boot of an AHG.com.au car (depending on who gets in with a sponsorship deal first) on the evening of Australia Day - Monday 26 January.

As always your reasons for selecting one player over another are yours alone, and need not have anything to do with footballing skills unless you want it to. Maybe A. Rookie waved you into traffic on Punt Road, maybe A. Superstar whizzed on your shoes in a nightclub toilet - you vote as you see fit and if anyone comments adversely on your selection tell them to do one. And now, on with the opening ceremony:

Honour Roll

Last year midfielders finally broke through after two years of defender domination. Nathan Jones will start an outrageously short priced favourite to defend his title, but as always the final decision will be made by the people. 

We've also lost a previous champion and grand finalist so maybe we should take a minute to pause and remember them? Maybe not, but it should be noted that all three previous winners have seen their financial and media profile go through the roof since they won and we're taking credit.

2012 - James Frawley d. Nathan Jones
2013 - Tom McDonald d. Mitch Clark
2014 - Nathan Jones d. Jack Watts

Rules

• The voting criteria for each match-up is your personal business. We won't ask questions, and nor should anyone else
• Voting will be conducted between 7am and 7pm AEDST unless otherwise noted
• You must cast a valid vote for every match that day or none of your votes on that day's matches will count (I'll try and remind you where possible by there are no guarantees).
• You must pick a winner in every match up. No half votes, no "I can't split them". Yes you can, and you must or your vote won't count (again, I will try to coerce you into a snap decision where possible)
• Non-MFC fans are more than welcome to vote on as many days as you like as long as you follow all other rules
• Players are more than welcome to use social media, real media or paid advertising to promote themselves. Outright bribery, however, is not permitted.
• Players may vote for themselves as long as they also vote in the other matchups of the day as per the above rules
• In the event of a tie both players will advance to the next round, except in the case of the Grand Final where a replay will be held the following day.
• If a match features three or more players and two or more tie for the most votes they will advance with all other players eliminated
• We reserve the right to refuse votes if they're clearly from the same person using multiple accounts
• Voting will once again be conducted in an open format (mainly Twitter, BigFooty. Reddit if I can bothered. Maybe on the long defunct Facebook page?) to keep it interesting but if you're really keen on your privacy or have an intense hatred of social media you can email me daily via demonblogger AT gmail.com
• The decision of the Demonbracket Organising Committee is final. We're using the same lawyers as James Hird so nothing can possibly go wrong.

The combatants

As per last year the top eight seeds are based on the finishing order of last year's Best and Fairest.

1. Nathan Jones
2. Dom Tyson
3. Bernie Vince
4. Lynden Dunn
5. Daniel Cross
6. Jeremy Howe
7. Tom McDonald
8. Neville Jetta

Non-seeded players with a bye to Round 1

This year there is no free pass for leadership group members past or present, the 12 byes are based solely on MFC games played.

9. Mark Jamar
10. Colin Garland
11. Jack Watts
12. Jack Grimes
13. Jack Trengove
14. Jordie McKenzie
15. Rohan Bail
16. Matt Jones
17. Dean Terlich
18. Jack Viney
19. Chris Dawes
20. Cameron Pedersen

Players entered in the Preliminary Round (12 matches)

21. Jesse Hogan
22. Christian Salem
23. Jimmy Toumpas
24. Heritier Lumumba
25. Angus Brayshaw
26. Max Gawn
27. Billy Stretch
28. Dean Kent
29. Sam Frost
30. Ben Newton
31. Viv Michie
32. Jay Kennedy-Harris
33. Christian Petracca
34. Aidan Riley
35. Oscar McDonald
36. Jayden Hunt
37. Alex Neal-Bullen
38. Jeff Garlett
39. Jake Spencer
40. Jack Fitzpatrick
41. Aaron Vandenberg
42. Mitchell White
43. James Harmes
44. Max King

The Draw

Preliminary Round

Monday 2 February (7am to 1pm)
[1] vs
[2] vs
[3] vs

Monday 2 February (1pm to 7pm)
[4] vs
[5] vs
[6] vs

Tuesday 3 February (7am to 1pm)
[7] vs
[8] vs
[9] vs

Tuesday 3 February (1pm to 7pm)
[10] vs
[11] vs
[12] vs

Round 1

Wednesday 4 February

1. Nathan Jones vs
vs
vs
vs 8. Neville Jetta

Thursday 5 February

5. Daniel Cross vs
vs
vs
vs 4. Lynden Dunn

Friday 6 February

3. Bernie Vince vs
vs
vs
vs 6. Jeremy Howe

Monday 9 February

7. Tom McDonald vs
vs
vs
vs 2. Dom Tyson

Round 2

Tuesday 10 February

vs
vs
vs
vs

Wednesday 11 February

vs
vs
vs
vs

Quarter Finals

Thursday 12 February

vs
vs

Friday 13 February

vs
vs

Semi Final

Monday 16 February

vs
vs

Final

Tuesday 17 February

vs