I love the way this bloke tackles..... They are dead set spear tackles!

Is this Wrecker's dad???

The tales of his demise have been GREATLY exaggerated.

The guy is a champion of MFC and could play another 3 years. We missed him enormously while he was out, and it's no coincidence that suddenly our defence has done the second best job this year of ANY defence on a contender like the Dogs.

Wheels. We salute you. Or at least we bloodywell should.

Yeah, just love the way he goes about his footy!

It gives me chicken skin whenever I see him lay a huge tackle on someone!

The bloke is a legend!

Amen!

That spear tackle was brilliant.

Would love to see a full injury free season next year. He will be the general down back amongst the kids and a bloody good one to have around with the example he sets in hardnesss at the footy each week. Legend !

That spear tackle was brilliant.

There are moments in football that just bring you pure joy...

Davey running towards an open goal, Rivers in full flight () and when a stupid opposition player tries to run through Whelan. :D

a great tackle..however one moment does not a career saving make !! Its gone past him.. thats just footy

32 touches last week against a previously top 4 aiming side, passed it...

Injury, i think he'd be as good as he's ever been. Hard to rate because he's always been understated, but he can keep going at his own pace and playing his own game like he's always done.

Great moment last week (and i know 2 weeks but who cares) when he has the ball about to hurridly get rid of it, saw it was Corrie coming at him, so he took the hit, shrugged him off and then moved on

he has played two great games the last two weeks. he is hard as nails back there. even if he only has 2 years left it would be worth keeping him around to teach the younger briade to be tough and hard at it.

at least with wheelan he is always doing the team thing, the tackle the sheppard, the block. he runs hard and puts in 1%ers like they are going out of fashion. its great for the others to watch.

He has a good footy brain, and works hard.

It was a shame he coughed it up coming out of defence a couple of times, undoing the good work that he'd done in winning the footy.

been backing wheels in...

when he was in the 2's junior was playing his role in the backline... but we all know that wheels will always be a better back pocket player than junior... plus wheels is a couple of years younger than junior, so i think he'll hold down that back pocket spot for a little while longer...

You guys are deluding yourselves. He has made a hallmark of "owning" space.. but hes getting too slow and gives far too much to the opposition. He has been very very good in the past..but thats not now..

How many cough ups does a backman get before he's dragged ? Thats why Carroll is gone..

Not a patch on his former self... but by all means.. "be happy "...if mediocrity is your benchmark !!

He has a good footy brain, and works hard.

It was a shame he coughed it up coming out of defence a couple of times, undoing the good work that he'd done in winning the footy.

Agree. Its an issue that has slipped into his game in the past few years and undermined his effectiveness

Would it be worth putting him up forward ala Michael Osborne?

Or would that just mean you have too many crumbers down there?

Wheels has been my fav. player for a long time. Really admire his hard at it mentality and his tackling effectiveness.

Also has a great footy brain.

Onya Wheels!

Would it be worth putting him up forward ala Michael Osborne?

Or would that just mean you have too many crumbers down there?

I spoke to Wheels at the dinner about how i always felt he played the forwardline pretty well, the 2 times he's been there anyway, in that he constantly led, presented, moved around and kept attacking the footy.

He said he reckoned a lot of forwards don't know how to play the position, in that they don't know what's hard to defend and what would make their role easier.

I wouldn't mind seeing him there as an experiment, hardness up forward, esp as his drive from the backline seems a little depleted.

Perhaps as an experiment he and Davey could switch

Would it be worth putting him up forward ala Michael Osborne?

Or would that just mean you have too many crumbers down there?

It might be worth trying, but he's had very limited opportunities and isn't exactly a spring chicken.

We've previously chosen Nathan Brown as a crumbing forward, which suggests Whelan is - or at least, was - way down the list when it comes to a forward role.

As much as its like parting with a favourite jumper or such..its simply Matty doesnt reflect the way forward...Nor does Ooze..or Jeff, hell even Junior is on the cusp.

What we need to build is a team that can grow and meld into a single unit. A unit that will go from strength to strength for 5-6 years before the next major rejig happens. The timetable just isnt Wheels's destiny...thats life.

Its reasonable I believe to assume that whilst others ( younger ) get fitter and stronger..and more skilled.. The only real way is (not) up for Matt.

Hard decisions are needed now at Melbourne and he will be one of them

I love the way this bloke tackles..... They are dead set spear tackles!

Is this Wrecker's dad???

I thought a spear tackle is when you lift the oponent, tip them upside down and drive them headfirst into the turf. It is banned in rugby, is incredibly dangerous and not to be celebrated. He is definitley not spear tackling!! Unless I have missed something.

I thought a spear tackle is when you lift the oponent, tip them upside down and drive them headfirst into the turf. It is banned in rugby, is incredibly dangerous and not to be celebrated. He is definitley not spear tackling!! Unless I have missed something.

Yeah youre right, its not a spear tackle, its more like when you run into a railing fence around a ground. Or that guy who hit the horse in the gymnastics at the olympics all those years ago.

Was a great tackle, He is definately our hard man, who else has laid bigger tackles and shirt fronts for our side in the last 5 years.

I love the way he puts his body on the line, specially for his size.

Id like to see Sylvia use his body in similar fashion and take over the mantle.

You guys are deluding yourselves. He has made a hallmark of "owning" space.. but hes getting too slow and gives far too much to the opposition. He has been very very good in the past..but thats not now..

How many cough ups does a backman get before he's dragged ? Thats why Carroll is gone..

Not a patch on his former self... but by all means.. "be happy "...if mediocrity is your benchmark !!

Pffft.

Garbage. Watch him more closely. I'll say it again, our defence kept the Dogs to under 100 points. Only one other side has done that, and it's NO coincidence that we've been playing better as a side since he got back.

Not every player in the list has to have Buckley's pace. And the game is a LONG way from going past him. Since he returned he hasn't cost the team anything. And he is ANYTHING but mediocre.

Averaging 18.6 touches a game, season low of 11.

Fail to see how that proves the game has gone past him, especially as that is his best return by over 3 possies a game.

Disposal efficiency of 81.82, 94.12, 68.75, 90.62 and 82.35

Strengthened our defence, added composure and experience to a young backline.

Pffft.

Garbage. Watch him more closely. I'll say it again, our defence kept the Dogs to under 100 points. Only one other side has done that, and it's NO coincidence that we've been playing better as a side since he got back.

Not every player in the list has to have Buckley's pace. And the game is a LONG way from going past him. Since he returned he hasn't cost the team anything. And he is ANYTHING but mediocre.

I agree. His attitude towards the pill and the game in general will only be beneficial for our younger brigade, at the very least.