From VFL to No.1 in AFL goal assists in 15 months

A FRUSTRATED Jake Melksham didn't play at any level in round eight last year.

His sluggish start to 2017, after sitting out the previous season because of the supplements ban from his time at Essendon, saw him relegated to VFL duty, then he was suspended for two striking reports.

People who watched Melksham suit up that day for Melbourne's VFL affiliate Casey say he "played angry". But, more importantly, the 27-year-old found form.

Melksham was arguably best on ground, amassing 26 kicks, nine handballs, 10 tackles and six scoring shots, albeit for just one goal.

He returned for another VFL game after his one-week hiatus and was again the Demons' best player and again had 30-plus touches before earning an AFL recall.

Melbourne initially used Melksham off half-back, as a tagger and a midfielder, but the decision to place him permanently in attack from round 13 last year was what dramatically altered his fortunes.

"Forward is the spot that most players go when things aren't working out," Melksham told AFL.com.au, with brutal honesty.

"Everyone's played forward at some stage in their career, whether it's at junior or AFL level.

"It's not the simplest spot in the ground, but all you have to do is worry about contesting in the air when the ball comes in, then at ground level if the ball comes to ground.

"It was just an effort to get me going last year – and it's worked."

Melksham wasn't alone among the 'Essendon 34' in struggling to reach past heights after the forced year-long sabbatical.

He at least had fellow Demon and ex-Bomber Michael Hibberd, his best mate, to lean on throughout the saga.

There was another major distraction, too.

Melksham's partner, Stacey, gave birth to their first child, Frankie, in January 2016, a week before the Court of Arbitration for Sport revealed the penalty, which was effectively for the following season.

"I went from one of the best days of my life to one of the worst and strangest days that I've ever had," he said.

"I was preoccupied for the start of it. I had a little girl to look after and put all my priorities and time into, which was a real help.

"'Hibbo' and I didn't spend as much time together as we would have otherwise. Him and all the Essendon boys went to Europe, and me and my family went to America.

"But we still spent a heap of time together, along with a few of the other boys, and did some training together."

Melksham and Stacey are expecting a second child, a boy this time, in February next year and his football life could hardly be better, too.

Melbourne ended its 12-year finals drought in recent weeks, and Melksham was one of only four Demons with previous September experience until the 29-point triumph over Geelong.

Even then, that experience was one match seven years ago – and Carlton thumped Melksham's Bombers by 62 points on that occasion.

"For a while there, talking about playing in finals and winning finals wasn't even on the radar. It was about a whole bunch of other things you don't want to be thinking or worrying about," he said.

"It was, from a selfish point of view, more thinking about where I was going to be playing my footy next, and when that was going to be.

"To be in the position we are now, with my best mate 'Hibbo' playing with me, has made it all worthwhile and certainly validated our decision to come to the club."

Melksham's rise from being dropped to the VFL then finishing 16th in Melbourne's club champion award last year to leading the AFL in goal assists is incredible no matter your perspective.

The Demons' resident prankster rates elite in 2018 among general forwards in goal assists, inside 50s, kicks, effective kicks, marks, marks inside 50, contested marks and one-percenters.

Only nine players have a higher scoreboard impact, which combines goals and goal assists, than Melksham.

Those are All Australian-calibre numbers, but Melksham didn't even make the squad of 40, maybe as a consequence of the theory you need two quality seasons to convince selectors.

He is a key component of the competition's No.1 offence, igniting a talented front half that included Tom McDonald, Jesse Hogan, Sam Weideman, Christian Petracca and Alex Neal-Bullen at different stages.

Melbourne coach Simon Goodwin, who was Melksham's midfield mentor at Essendon, was pivotal in convincing him to change clubs and is revelling in his success.

"I've shared eight years with Jake on his journey," Goodwin said.

"The great thing is he's really matured as a player. He works incredibly hard, but he's found a position where he has a genuine impact on the game forward of centre.

"He's got a beautiful kick, so he's been really instrumental for us and our ability to move the ball forward of centre."

Melksham hasn't had a chance to reflect much on his growth as a player, other than agreeing with Goodwin that his forward role suits his strengths and allows him to "play on instinct".

"I've always had a fair bit of belief in my playing abilities and knew the stuff I'm putting on display now has always been there," he said.

"It's just been in different positions, whether that's in the backline or the midfield.

"It's really just been a combination of some really good coaching and finding out what works for me and sticking to it."

The next roadblock in Melksham's and the Demons' path towards a first premiership since 1964 is Hawthorn at the MCG on Friday night, a side that humbled them by 67 points in round four.

"It's nearly a full season since we last met them, and they really served it up to us that day and we weren't prepared for what they dished up," Melksham said.

"We certainly didn't play at our best, but we're two totally different teams on paper and also in the way we're playing, so I'm super excited about it.

"Hawthorn is a club that's been strong for a long time, and they've been in the thick of (almost) every finals campaign for probably the last decade … but we look forward to the challenge."