I really think this guy can play.

He’s very agile for a big man and reads the play extremely well.

I am concerned that if Martin does play forward this week it leaves our Backline quite short with the possibility of both Westoff’s and White in the Power’s forward line.

In saying that Id love to see what he can do up forward. On a long lead or in a one on one situation in the forward 50. Id say his set shot might be a tad iffy but this is a nothing venture nothing gained scenario.

I really think this guy can play.

In saying that Id love to see what he can do up forward. On a long lead or in a one on one situation in the forward 50. Id say his set shot might be a tad iffy but this is a nothing venture nothing gained scenario.

Answered your own question then. Well done.

Why would Martin all of a sudden play forward this week? We still have Miller, Bate and Newton available from last week and they form the nucleus of our marking talls.

Martin did go forward and kick a few goals last year for Sandy when playing as the resting ruckman, but I see no reason whatsoever to move him from the backline, where he's learning each week how to be a better defender. Why hamper that progress?

Why would Martin all of a sudden play forward this week? We still have Miller, Bate and Newton available from last week and they form the nucleus of our marking talls.

Martin did go forward and kick a few goals last year for Sandy when playing as the resting ruckman, but I see no reason whatsoever to move him from the backline, where he's learning each week how to be a better defender. Why hamper that progress?

I do see your point with the three tall forwards we have. But with our current ladder position this is a good time to experiment if only for a quarter. If he was to play well there then it tells us more about our list and its depth of possibility.

well just to be picky, its stefan, not stephan. Anyway, i agree that its time to experiment but this wouldnt be good. For starters, Meesen does not deserve a game after one decent vfl game so Stefan will have to be our backup ruckman.

Freak, I'd rather Martin settle in down back than throw him in the ruck. He's still got his "L" plates. What have we got to lose by playing Meesen in the ruck this week against Port anyway?

I would have thought he'd have played up forward from the start. Melbourne have a tendency to play tall, reletively low-skillful players in the backline. I'm not saying Martin doesn't have skills, but he just seems like a forward when he has the ball. It'd be interesting to see him up forward. He has been good down back though, especially for a kid who has only been playing football for a few years.

Six to one, half a dozen to the other.

Would be interesting, but would leave us short down back.

I think we have planty of tall backmen one of them can be tried forward.

If Newton can get a gig at FF I reckon Stef could as well.

Give him a go.

Freak, I'd rather Martin settle in down back than throw him in the ruck. He's still got his "L" plates. What have we got to lose by playing Meesen in the ruck this week against Port anyway?

yeh so would i high tower, but if you go to the demons home page there is an article where bailey says that martin may get a rucking responsibility. I don't really care if Meesen gets a game, but if he does then Yze, Petterd, Carroll, etc should come with him, if bailey is true to his words of rewarding good vfl performances. Bailey seems to say one thing but do another. Yze's form has been awesome for example and if he doesn't deserve to play seniors than meesen certainly doesn't.

No. I definitely don't want to see Martin (or Garland for that matter) being moved up and down the ground through the early parts of their careers. As evidenced with Miller, it's better to let talls like them settle into one or the other. In Martin's case it is defense.

No. I definitely don't want to see Martin (or Garland for that matter) being moved up and down the ground through the early parts of their careers. As evidenced with Miller, it's better to let talls like them settle into one or the other. In Martin's case it is defense.

i dont think martin would be happy with being compared with miller. miller got moved all over the place because he never was good in any position.

miller got moved all over the place because he never was good in any position.

Miller got moved all over the place because ND opted for quick fixes over player development. Its no coincidence that now that Miller has been left to play at CHF, where he played his best football from the very beginning, he is having his best season.

I dont see Martin as a forward at all. His path to the AFL certainly doesnt suggest so either. As others have said, Garland seems most suited there.

Garland's the option if you want to move one of our young backman forward.

I'd like to see Martin play out the season in the backline.

leave him in the backline - why confuse the poor bloke...

has shown enough promise in his few games to suggest a fair career is ahead of him!!

i think he is one player that will benefit from a coach like dean bailey - one that educates you!!

yeh so would i high tower, but if you go to the demons home page there is an article where bailey says that martin may get a rucking responsibility. I don't really care if Meesen gets a game, but if he does then Yze, Petterd, Carroll, etc should come with him, if bailey is true to his words of rewarding good vfl performances. Bailey seems to say one thing but do another. Yze's form has been awesome for example and if he doesn't deserve to play seniors than meesen certainly doesn't.

Yze now is a proven case of the gulf between AFL and VFL. Yze has shown repeatedly that he does not have the capacity to apply defensive pressure, be accountable and to make the team options. His skills have waned dramatically over the past two to three years as the game has changed. Getting your name in Monday's papers best is not and should not be the criteria to be selected. And given what Bailey is seeking to do I just dont see what a twilight Yze gives.

And even by your own criteria, you could not pick Carroll as his form at Sandy has been indifferent and given we have better options to use.

Meesens selection is based purely on circumstance and tossing Martin in the ruck is a cop out in that it gives us little in the centre and robs us down back. I've seen Martin ruck in the VFL and he is not ruckman Meesen might do the same but I would rather have Martin done back

i dont think martin would be happy with being compared with miller. miller got moved all over the place because he never was good in any position.

I wasn't comparing the two as in talent or ability to play forward/back, I was just using Miller as an example of a player who got moved about and as a result was never able to settle into either CHF or CHB. Now Bailey has played him almost exclusively at CHF and he's settled into the role nicely.

Earlier this year at Sandringham I saw Stef have one of the worst set shots at goal I've ever seen.

It might have been a Sandy praccy match but I'm not sure.

Awful.

I like Martin's development in the backline. Good signs.

I haven't seen him in the forward line myself.

Our backline has been cursed for many years.

Backlines are (in my opinion) vital and it's harder to find a true quality defender than it is to put together a forward line (putting aside our bizarre taste for trying out 5-foot-full-forwards this season in Valenti and Wonaeamirri)

Stefan Martin can stay back there and do a tough job which he seems to have the calm determination to do.

How about Jack Watts as a forward?

Leave Martin down back, those types are hard to find, and we have a few developing. Why do a Daniher and move him back, forward, sideways so he takes twice as long to develop???

How about Jack Watts as a forward?

Leave Martin down back, those types are hard to find, and we have a few developing. Why do a Daniher and move him back, forward, sideways so he takes twice as long to develop???

My sentiments exactly.

If it's not broken don't fix it.

Martin has been very solid at full back. Why would we take him out of a position that we are in desperate need of settling? Also, what's the point of giving Newton a 2 year contract if we are going to give another guy his position. Further, with Miller having a much improved year and the likelihood that Watts will be in the red and blue next year, I really don't see any point whatsoever in playing Martin forward.

The only reason I can find for playing Martin at FF for a few weeks would be to educate him, but I've never been a big believer of teaching backmen by playing them forward.

Also, what's the point of giving Newton a 2 year contract if we are going to give another guy his position. Further, ... Watts will be in the red and blue next year.

Not that I think that Martin should be played forward or anything but Newton shouldn't have been given two years and Watts will be too young to play in 2009.

Also, what's the point of giving Newton a 2 year contract if we are going to give another guy his position. Further, with Miller having a much improved year and the likelihood that Watts will be in the red and blue next year.

It is not a given yet. Just widely tipped that Melbourne will be going for Watts. There has also been speculation on Rich among threads.

What is to say Melbourne will select Jack Watts? What is to say he will start at FF if he is selected by Dees? He has been playing at CHF as well as FF....