Melbourne falls from flag contenders to eliminated in two weeks
The Demons went from being tipped for the premiership to knocked out of finals after van Rooyen's suspension and injuries to key forwards crippled their attack.
Why it mattersVan Rooyen's suspension shows how one incident can derail a team's entire season, especially during finals when injuries can't be replaced.
AustraliaMelbourne's sudden exit from the 2026 AFL finals ends their best-performing season in years and leaves fans wondering if the van Rooyen suspension cost them a real chance at September success.
✓ Claims checked against the source and corrected before publish. checked 2 h ago
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