Breaking
Andy Moniz-Wakefield will make his AFL debut this weekend when Melbourne faces Brisbane
THREE years on from first arriving at Melbourne, Andy Moniz-Wakefield will get his moment at AFL level, confirmed to make his career debut when the Dees face the Lions.
Moniz-Wakefield found out the special news on Tuesday afternoon, Steven May surprising him with the announcement in front of the playing group.
The 20-year-old has been building towards this opportunity, his selection for AFL coming off the back of incredible consistency in the VFL.
Across his 11 games this year, the defender has averaged nearly 25 disposals and 15 kicks, his most memorable performance occurring just last week when he collected a whopping 35 disposals, 22 kicks and 10 intercepts.
Moniz-Wakefield first joined the club in November of 2021 as a Category B Rookie, selected via the club’s connection to its Next Generation Academy region of the Northern Territory.
Hailing from Darwin, the young Demon grew up playing both rugby and football before making his name known in the AFL world, starring for the NT Thunder during NAB league games.
When he initially arrived at the Dees, he spent time in the forward line before making a transition to the other end of the ground 12 months ago.
Moniz-Wakefield has now become a statement player across half-back for the Casey Demons and will now add further depth to Melbourne’s formidable defence.
Known for his precise kicking and explosive speed, the Demon will be a welcome addition to the team’s final 23 as they prepare to challenge Brisbane at the Gabba on Friday night.