Colin Sylvia- Complaints, Congratulations and Comments

[Guest JACKtheRIPPER]

Which club would have given a 3rd round pick for two OP stricken players and another who would be fringe in most other teams?

Clearly whatever you've consuming in the brown paper bag has given you the giggles and dissolved some critical cells. Keep slurping but stop when the walls start closing in. B)

your one wild space monkey rhino, anyway thats just my opinion mate.

[Rogue 585]

your one wild space monkey rhino

I don't even know what that means but it's gold.

lets not hang teh dude just yet..

lets give him the benefit of a few games in the real season before we judge so harshly!

He's been on the list for five seasons.

However, If I was ever on the Sylvia bandwagon - and I wasn't - I wouldn't jump off after one game, particularly one that was much the same as countless others over his five full seasons with Melbourne.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

your one wild space monkey rhino, anyway thats just my opinion mate.

No further questions, your Honour.

[e25 5]

your one wild space monkey rhino, anyway thats just my opinion mate.

Who are you, Karl Pilkington??!

[Guest JACKtheRIPPER]

Who are you, Karl Pilkington??!

you seem to now more about karl than me, you satisfied fool. :

[Sir Why You Little 37,000]

I managed to Turn on SEN During the second quarter. Colin Sylvia Made about 5 errors within 6-7 minutes of me listening. Then of course missed the Goal in the last Q. We all know the Final Results.

Bought Back those Hideous Memories of 87 Prelim Final Day at Waverly.

Younger Posters on here will maybe not recall that day but i sure did. I Felt Sick.

Sorry But Coliin Sylvia is no better than Simon Eishold & will never win us a flag. Until This Club gets Ruthless & learns to win, we will be laughed at and treated like CRAP.

33 points up WE Should Have WON-No EXCUSES!! Hawthorn Had Half a side Playing. Now we Head off to the BUSH for 3 weeks. No TV Exposure & still no sponsor. We Blew a chance to gain just a little Respect AGAIN.

I Hope those Players are REALLY HURTING. I DID.

I wonder if Colin Sylvia is really Hurting???

[rusty_kingswood 0]

your one wild space monkey rhino, anyway thats just my opinion mate.

Jack, haven't your learned yet, your not permitted to form an opinion whilst Rhino is around.

[sylvinator 96]

I posted this somewhere else, but realized it was more appropriote here...

I think people are sooooo off the mark with Sylvia.

The problem is that people expect him to be a champion simply because he was pick 3. The reality however, is that there are only about 5-10 quality players to come out of that draft and it was extrmely poor draft. Think about how many top 10 picks turn out to be duds and don't even play an AFL game. Simply because you're a top pick means you have the potential to be a superstar.

Sylvia is and will be for a very long time a good/very good player for MFC. nothing more and nothing less. He will play on a forward flank most of this year and i predict he will, on average, get 15-18 quality possessions and kick a couple of goals. This is a more than respectable return. Not the return of a superstar, but a good return for a pretty good player.

We need to change our mindset with Sylvia. We will gain a 150 player who averages around 1-2 goals a game and shows some genuine glimpses of magic. He will play on the wing or as a forward. He will never be MFC's best player, and never the most important player.

Regardless of what other think, I like watching Sylvia play and will continue to enjoy this for the next few years

[Rogue 585]

The problem is that people expect him to be a champion simply because he was pick 3.

No it's not. The problem is that he's not as good as you think he is.

Sylvia is and will be for a very long time a good/very good player for MFC. nothing more and nothing less.

In 2008 he recorded a career-high number of disposals but his ~19th ranking in the B&F - despite playing a high number of games - suggests he hasn't been a good or very good player so far.

He will play on a forward flank most of this year and i predict he will, on average, get 15-18 quality possessions and kick a couple of goals. This is a more than respectable return. Not the return of a superstar, but a good return for a pretty good player.

If he were to do that it'd be great. He's nowhere close atm. Last year he averaged 15-18 possessions but they weren't quality (ranked 25th in disposal efficiency according to 45hotgood) and didn't average 1 goal a game, let alone a couple.

Regardless of what other think, I like watching Sylvia play and will continue to enjoy this for the next few years

Don't put your house on it.

[Sir Why You Little 37,000]

No it's not. The problem is that he's not as good as you think he is.

In 2008 he recorded a career-high number of disposals but his ~19th ranking in the B&F - despite playing a high number of games - suggests he hasn't been a good or very good player so far.

If he were to do that it'd be great. He's nowhere close atm. Last year he averaged 15-18 possessions but they weren't quality (ranked 25th in disposal efficiency according to 45hotgood) and didn't average 1 goal a game, let alone a couple.

Don't put your house on it.

HaHa! That Got me Smiling-Beautifully Put!!

[Guest Rojik of the Arctic]

even if they traded them for 3rd round pick we would better off than we are now,there would be 3 new kids on the list,those 3 would chew up about 700,000 a season in the cap, now thats strange concept of value, even 4th rounp pick would be better than those 3,hows the shiraz going today mate.

If the situations were reversed and another club wanted to trade him to us what would you be happy to give up? 3rd round? 4th round?

[montasaurus 0]

If the situations were reversed and another club wanted to trade him to us what would you be happy to give up? 3rd round? 4th round?

I would happily take a player of sylvia's potential from another club who had inj issues for a 4th rd pick in a second. Problem is a player like this I think is worth more to the current club then that, but not on the open market. hence you don't see them change unless there are issues b/w the player and the club. For me he has the ability to be great, body strength is not an issue it's his application and percived attitude that is the issue. Hopefully the coaching staff are all over this one!

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

I would happily take a player of sylvia's potential from another club who had inj issues for a 4th rd pick in a second. Problem is a player like this I think is worth more to the current club then that, but not on the open market. hence you don't see them change unless there are issues b/w the player and the club. For me he has the ability to be great, body strength is not an issue it's his application and percived attitude that is the issue. Hopefully the coaching staff are all over this one!

I would not take a player that has a long OP history, past attitude problems, a mediocre performance record and a noticeable lack of football nous.

Sylvia has no trade value and as we have him contracted we may as well see if we can get some good football out of him. I'd rather us try and extract something out of him than let someone strike it possibly lucky with him in PSD.

Players who have records mediocre NQR playing records are not traded because no one wants them as each club has enough of the their own.

Best to get your recruiting right and try and pick a gem through the draft where hopefully you can train them to do the right thing than scoop up another teams NQRs. ATM I can think of only Medhurst that has represented a good trade pick up. There have been a number of bombs

[H_T 3,043]

First, forget about what number Sylvia was picked in the draft - it's irrelevant. It's a ranking based on what one recruited thought of him when he was ~17 years old. He's been around five years, and takes up the same number of spots on our list as any other player - one.

Second, Sylvia wasn't particularly terrible today. He was pretty quiet but I actually thought he had a fairly typical Sylvia day.

I tend to agree. He was well held by his opponent for the day. Give some credit to his opponent, FFS.

Personally, I was heartened by the first 3 quarters, very disappointed in the last. Bruce was terrible and very quiet. Bell couldn't kick in a karate class.

Bring on Round 1.

Happy with Spencer, Miller, McLean.

[1858 285]

If we examine Saturdays game against the Hawks it tells of a well known tale about Sylvia and in fact it some what cements our thoughts. To say Sylvia is inconsistent is an understatement. To say he can be damaging on his day is fair but on his bad days he often leaves us perplexed. I think Saturdays game was quite an eye opener. We had a multitude of young second year and other younger players bust their guts and keep us in the game for three quarters untill Hawthorn hit their straps and quite simply outclassed us. We didn't choke in anyway, the younger players just weren't accomplished enough for the onslaught that we copped but they were instrumental in achieving what should have been a game winning lead at 3/4 time.

The big question from the game is how did so many of our young players step up and play honest, tough and constructive football and yet a player in his 5th season has virtually a dog of a day? Spencer, Martin, Grimes, Frawley, Morton, Cheney, Garland and Petterd to name a few all dug in and tried their hardest. In the same game against the same opposition we look at Sylvia and he simply didn't do his share. A previous poster stated that he just had a "Sylvia day" - well if this is the case then god help him because it is not good enough. Maybe last year when we got belted from the opening bounce and multiple players struggled you could say ok Sylvia had an off day and will bounce back. From Saturdays game I think we can genuinely say that he simply did not play to the level required and he was shown out by our younger brigade who not only played better but approached the game with genuine professionalism. The younger players delivered in spades for the whole game not just the first 3/4s and we should have won the game for them.

As far as the whole 3rd pick champion expectations go that is in the past. Melbourne supporters no longer expect Colin Sylvia to be a champion of the game based on his draft pick status however some supporters use this as a way of defending his inconsistency. We do on the other hand expect him to put in (even on an off day) to be constructive and competitive like our youngsters were on Saturday and this here is where the problem lies. He simply can't pick and chose when he is going to have a good game, the MFC, the other players and supporters deserve better. As the team moves forward nothing but the best effort will be required by all players. You can have a bad day but still put in your best effort.

What does this all mean? Well I for one think Sylvia should be given this season before final judgement (as hard as it is after Saturdays game) but one thing is for certain and that is that he (as well as a couple of others) needs a rocket up the ass from the coach. Saturdays game wasn't just about losing a close pre-season game. It was about how the game was played and why we lost the game and how the younger players in the side were let down and deserved a win. It would have been great for the club, players and supporters if we got up and the loss was unecessary. Many people who have posted on various sites were livid and I understand why. I am quite a reserved supporter/member and I always look at the big picture so losing this game won't (on paper) be the end of life as we know it. What some people don't understand however is that the significance lies in the loss not the game. The game itself was immaterial but the reasons for losing need to be put under the microscope.

Playing under injury is often overlooked and form can fluctuate for different players so it is easy to give your two cents worth from a keyboard but given Sylvia is in his 5th season it is quite reasonable to expect even a base level of football and competitiveness which unfortunately was not on display on Saturday. He quite simply has to start playing for his team.

[AzzKikA 2,371]

Nice Novel 1858!

[Sir Why You Little 37,000]

If we examine Saturdays game against the Hawks it tells of a well known tale about Sylvia and in fact it some what cements our thoughts. To say Sylvia is inconsistent is an understatement. To say he can be damaging on his day is fair but on his bad days he often leaves us perplexed. I think Saturdays game was quite an eye opener. We had a multitude of young second year and other younger players bust their guts and keep us in the game for three quarters untill Hawthorn hit their straps and quite simply outclassed us. We didn't choke in anyway, the younger players just weren't accomplished enough for the onslaught that we copped but they were instrumental in achieving what should have been a game winning lead at 3/4 time.

The big question from the game is how did so many of our young players step up and play honest, tough and constructive football and yet a player in his 5th season has virtually a dog of a day? Spencer, Martin, Grimes, Frawley, Morton, Cheney, Garland and Petterd to name a few all dug in and tried their hardest. In the same game against the same opposition we look at Sylvia and he simply didn't do his share. A previous poster stated that he just had a "Sylvia day" - well if this is the case then god help him because it is not good enough. Maybe last year when we got belted from the opening bounce and multiple players struggled you could say ok Sylvia had an off day and will bounce back. From Saturdays game I think we can genuinely say that he simply did not play to the level required and he was shown out by our younger brigade who not only played better but approached the game with genuine professionalism. The younger players delivered in spades for the whole game not just the first 3/4s and we should have won the game for them.

As far as the whole 3rd pick champion expectations go that is in the past. Melbourne supporters no longer expect Colin Sylvia to be a champion of the game based on his draft pick status however some supporters use this as a way of defending his inconsistency. We do on the other hand expect him to put in (even on an off day) to be constructive and competitive like our youngsters were on Saturday and this here is where the problem lies. He simply can't pick and chose when he is going to have a good game, the MFC, the other players and supporters deserve better. As the team moves forward nothing but the best effort will be required by all players. You can have a bad day but still put in your best effort.

What does this all mean? Well I for one think Sylvia should be given this season before final judgement (as hard as it is after Saturdays game) but one thing is for certain and that is that he (as well as a couple of others) needs a rocket up the ass from the coach. Saturdays game wasn't just about losing a close pre-season game. It was about how the game was played and why we lost the game and how the younger players in the side were let down and deserved a win. It would have been great for the club, players and supporters if we got up and the loss was unecessary. Many people who have posted on various sites were livid and I understand why. I am quite a reserved supporter/member and I always look at the big picture so losing this game won't (on paper) be the end of life as we know it. What some people don't understand however is that the significance lies in the loss not the game. The game itself was immaterial but the reasons for losing need to be put under the microscope.

Playing under injury is often overlooked and form can fluctuate for different players so it is easy to give your two cents worth from a keyboard but given Sylvia is in his 5th season it is quite reasonable to expect even a base level of football and competitiveness which unfortunately was not on display on Saturday. He quite simply has to start playing for his team.

Well Constructed Arguements & yes i think your point about attitude is Correct. There is just not enough Pressure on Our "Better" Players for their senior positions in the team. That is the Job Bailey has in front of him. Our senior players let our Young kids down & that is something that has happened as long as i remember. Will Bailey be the man to change that?? Northey got dam close, ND gave his all but i always thought we would lose the big games. When we won i was stoked but i never once expected to win. That's why the Hawks Love to Kill us-They Expect to win EVERY TIME. 1990 was the only year i ever thought for a moment we had the wood over them. Sadly after beating them twice in two weeks the team was exhausted and could not advance past the Semi's. Even the Merger Game in 96 Hawthorn beat us by less than a goal. THEY HUNG ON. We must learn to do this.

Players who Don't learn this attitude we must let Go. Like in the wild The pack is only as strong as the weakest Member-Football is very close to that i believe.

Next time Melbourne Play Hawthorn Colin Sylvia better play the Game of his life....

[Rogue 585]

A previous poster stated that he just had a "Sylvia day" - well if this is the case then god help him because it is not good enough.

You've nailed it - that was precisely my point.

His output to date has not been good enough.

[the fork 357]

Thank you 1858 for your sensible comments on Sylvia's position. He needs to prove to his teammates that he is there as one of them.

[LeBron James 41]

Bump. Pretty close to BOG in todays match. Demonland consensus?

[Pates 9,660]

Good to hear, i hope he can back it up for the rest of the year.

[Neita3000 37]

Got us back into the match today and was brilliant. Is so quick off the mark and his kicking skills are sublime. Sydney had no one who could go with him. If he plays like that every week Yze_Magic's prediction of him taking home the Bluey could very well come true.

[Hannabal 4]

He did some very ordinary things today. Thankfully, he did some good things.

Just a player.

[Stigga 25]

He did some very ordinary things today. Thankfully, he did some good things.

Just a player.

Bit harsh there Hannabal. I thought he did well today, especially in the second half. Showed much more endeavour today.

[Kiss of Death 755]

I think his good second half negated his poor first half, wouldn't call him BOG by a long shot but i'd say he played well enough if i was writing up a player-by-player analysis.