Demonbracket: Premiership Edition preview

Usually I'm fanging for footy by mid-December and have all the advance work on this competition done a month out. This year, in all the excitement of being the best team in the world at our chosen sport, I completely forgot it existed until less than a week before the traditional starting date.

This could be the most competitive tournament yet, and since the introduction of voting exclusively via Twitter polls I no longer fear the admin so have resolved to enjoy the ride. The draw will be conducted live on @Demonblog from 6pm on Wednesday 26 January, offering a handy excuse to wrap up your political arguments on Facebook and do something useful. It will be posted on the blog shortly after.

Up to four matches a day will be held each day from Thursday 27 January (including weekends), with the final schedule for Friday 12 February - unless interrupted by the Demonbracket health and safety protocols (e.g. if I catch the 'cron).

The rules

• Each contest will run 24hrs from time of posting. Some reminders will be issued but check @Demonblog for the latest matches.
  
  
• You are not expected to vote for the 'better' player, it is simply which player you prefer for whatever reason. If you want to base it on footy skill you can, but novelty reasons or spite voting are just as valid.

• We can't force you to vote for every game but you should. There's got to be some way you can split the competing players. 

• Players are more than welcome to use social media, real media or paid advertising to promote themselves. Outright bribery is not permitted.
  
  
• 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.
  
  
• Any player on the list as of 26 January is eligible to compete.
  
  
• The decision of the Demonbracket Organising Committee is final. Unless somebody takes us to the Court of Arbitration for Sport in Lucerne.

Honour Roll
2012 - James Frawley d. Nathan Jones

2013 - Tom McDonald d. Mitch Clark

2014 - Nathan Jones d. Jack Watts

2015 - Nathan Jones [2] d. Dom Tyson

2016 - Jack Viney d. Nathan Jones

2017 - Max Gawn d. Jack Viney

2018 - Neville Jetta d. Clayton Oliver 
2019 - Clayton Oliver d. Neville Jetta
2020 - Max Gawn [2] d. Clayton Oliver

2021 - Christian Petracca d. Max Gawn

2021 competitors

Seeds (start at Round 1)

1. Christian Petracca (reigning champion)

2. Clayton Oliver (best and fairest)

3. Max Gawn (captain)

4. Christian Salem
5. Jake Lever
6. Ed Langdon
7. Steven May
8. Alex Neal-Bullen

Other players entering at Round 1 (next 14 most experienced MFC players)

9. Tom McDonald
10. Jack Viney

11. James Harmes
12. Angus Brayshaw
13. Jayden Hunt
14. Michael Hibberd
15. Bayley Fritsch
16. Jake Melksham
17. Charlie Spargo
18. Sam Weideman
19. Kysaiah Pickett
20. Trent Rivers
21. Luke Jackson
22. Harrison Petty
23. Tom Sparrow

Preliminary Round (new draftees, trades, and next lowest games total)
24. James Jordon
25. Joel Smith
26. Adam Tomlinson

27. Oskar Baker

28. Ben Brown

29. Jake Bowey

30. Mitch Brown

31. Kade Chandler

32. Toby Bedford
33. Majak Daw

34. Bailey Laurie
35. Fraser Rosman
36. Deakyn Smith

37. Daniel Turner
38. Luke Dunstan
39. Jacob van Rooyen
40. Blake Howes
41. Taj Woewodin
42. Judd McVee
43. Andy Moniz-Wakefield

Get amongst it!