http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/newsart...50/default.aspx

Say's it all.

Damn.

That's two more shots in the Dean Bailey "How many times can one man mention competitive" Drinking Game .

I hope our midfield is on the ball.

By that article, no one seems to happy about it.

Clearly mentions it's because Jamar is injured, then spends a couple of paragraphs relating how Spencer can't play because he's a rookie, before finally adding a quote from Bailey that he "hasn't been too bad" this pre season.

Well, when we have ruckmen that win the tap we seem to lose the clearance, hopefully vice versa will apply. He'll have to lift around the ground, to say the least.

Meesan is on our list as a ruckman... we may as well play him.

Otherwise what is the point even having him on the list if not to play him when our first choice ruckman is injured.

And who knows, you never know whether a player is truely a flop until you see them at AFL level.

At least playing Meesan at afl level will allow us, as supporters, to make a definitive and proper judgment as to whether he is up to afl level or not.

At least playing Meesan at afl level will allow us, as supporters, to make a definitive and proper judgment as to whether he is up to afl level or not.

In all honesty its rather irelevent what WE think..its what he CAN do. So far no one has really seen anything of note. He will...if it evolves..front in Red and Blue by defualt, hardly anything for the CV !!!

I'm not unhappy about it.. the guy has two years on his contract, so let's see if he's got something at AFL level. Maybe he'll show something, i don't know.

quite simply he's playing because Jake cant !! No a resounding endorsement is it !!

Time to step up Mr Meeson. Simple as that. We sought him out from adelaide lets see what he can do.

quite simply he's playing because Jake cant !! No a resounding endorsement is it !!

Could be an Isaac Weetra scenario mark II. Played for the sake of playing.

Would love to see the guy get a shot at AFL level for the Demons.

He could surprise a few of you.

Time to step up Mr Meeson. Simple as that. We sought him out from adelaide lets see what he can do.

I'll give him a little latitude 'till Rnd 11. then it's open season for low flying rucks or ruck/rovers.

Would love to see the guy get a shot at AFL level for the Demons.

He could surprise a few of you.

Sounds exactly like what I was hoping when we gave Weetra a shot last season...

he is a ruckman though -- notoriously slow to develop. He could suddenly come good if it clicks.

Would love to see the guy get a shot at AFL level for the Demons.

He could surprise a few of you.

Surprise ??? He'd shock our collective socks off i feel if he amounted to much more than a liability on the ledger !!

He's not like Jake..he's supposedly a ready made, just raw!!. Hes far more the latter rather than the prior !!

Jake even when a real newby showed intent , inded purpose..just no pizazz or deportment...; he's found these, but stil a bt raw. . Meesen just doesnt seem to light up at all.

Happy to be proved wrong...who wants to lay their hard earned that this will be the case ??

"John Meesen's last couple of weeks haven't been too bad..."

"He's been competitive in the ruck..."

"John had an average up to Christmas [pre-season]..."

"His last two weeks have been okay..."

"His ruckwork was adequate..."

I don't think I've ever seen Meesen play, but based on Dean's effusive praise, you can colour me excited for rnd 1!

Meesen is as about exciting as blacmange at a kids party displaying trifle, icecream cake and lolliess !! enuff said

This is where our list is at its thinnest.

Don't think that DB is too keen to play him but the options are Meesen, or throwing Martin into the centre, which I think is a pathetic move.

Meesen is a ruckman.

We have 2 eligible, fit ruckman - PJ and Meesen.

Play Meesen.

if he plays well this week and then against nth, it may put a lot of pressure on jamar. I'm all for it, might as well see how he goes on the big stage!

At least it's fifty fifty for a change in this topic, who knows who can cut it until they get a couple of games under their belt, from all reports from Sandy last year, Spencer was a large unco non kicking lumbering monster, suddenly he is the new star at Melbourne, Meesen has his chance on Saturday he needs to take it........DB has basically said that......he never over praises..what would Meesen play like if Bailey said we have no alternatives, he is a very good ruckman, he'll be in the side no matter what........it looks like the much maligned Newton has finally seen the light.....even Jamar improved once he was getting more game time and was out from behind White's shadow

"John Meesen's last couple of weeks haven't been too bad..."

"He's been competitive in the ruck..."

"John had an average up to Christmas [pre-season]..."

"His last two weeks have been okay..."

"His ruckwork was adequate..."

I don't think I've ever seen Meesen play, but based on Dean's effusive praise, you can colour me excited for rnd 1!

I think he was refering to Meh-sen... would have liked to have seen the body language, perhaps a shrug of the shoulders every time he used Meh-sens name??

I saw Meesen for the first time against the swans at optus oval two weeks ago!!

My thoughts!

He cant ruck! he has got no leap and got murdered in the ball ups at stoppages and centre bounces.

he got thrown around like a rag doll in the boundary throw ins and it looked incrdeibly awkward.

he got one kick for the day and it was on the half back flank near the boundary - he had plenty of time to consider his options. He slammed in the boot to centre wing where there was a sydney swan standing there 30 metres in the clear. he hit this sydney swan player right on the chest.

addmittedly this is the only time i have ever seen John play but from what i saw and from what i read last yr in Choppers match summaries i think he could be the worst player in the comp.

Sorry John

"John Meesen's last couple of weeks haven't been too bad..."

"He's been competitive in the ruck..."

"John had an average up to Christmas [pre-season]..."

"His last two weeks have been okay..."

"His ruckwork was adequate..."

I don't think I've ever seen Meesen play, but based on Dean's effusive praise, you can colour me excited for rnd 1!

Seriously in a press conference what would you expect a Coach to say??

At best those quotes reflective trying to put a positive spin on a very ordinary performance.

If Meesen surprises on the upside, I will be rapt but on what I have witnessed to date in the practice matches and in the VFL last year I would not be betting any money on a winner here. Meesen will need to show everyone what he has not be able to do to date....that he can play AFL football. He has not been close thus far.

At least it's fifty fifty for a change in this topic, who knows who can cut it until they get a couple of games under their belt, from all reports from Sandy last year, Spencer was a large unco non kicking lumbering monster, suddenly he is the new star at Melbourne, Meesen has his chance on Saturday he needs to take it........DB has basically said that......he never over praises..what would Meesen play like if Bailey said we have no alternatives, he is a very good ruckman, he'll be in the side no matter what........it looks like the much maligned Newton has finally seen the light.....even Jamar improved once he was getting more game time and was out from behind White's shadow

Your rose coloured glasses are a thicker and more opaque lens than others. B)

Spencer in his last game in the VFL last year with Sandy 1sts before getting glandular fever as an 18yo, 200cm+ ruckman was BOG.

His form in the practice match thus far have been most encouraging. Unless Jamar has improved over the summer, Spencer would be our No 1 ruck ahead of all the others. He is still raw and is still developing but the signs are very good. Spencer has got his opportunities through performance.

Meesen has his opportunity as a consequence of injury. On games to date Meesen has shown nothing to date. And at 23, the clock is ticking on a player whose only achievement at AFL is a high draft pick number.

Jamar only confirmed that he has plateaued since White retired. He is just not good enough.

I would not count your chickens either with Newton yet.

Seriously in a press conference what would you expect a Coach to say??

At best those quotes reflective trying to put a positive spin on a very ordinary performance.

If Meesen surprises on the upside, I will be rapt but on what I have witnessed to date in the practice matches and in the VFL last year I would not be betting any money on a winner here. Meesen will need to show everyone what he has not be able to do to date....that he can play AFL football. He has not been close thus far.

Your rose coloured glasses are a thicker and more opaque lens than others. B)

Spencer in his last game in the VFL last year with Sandy 1sts before getting glandular fever as an 18yo, 200cm+ ruckman was BOG.

His form in the practice match thus far have been most encouraging. Unless Jamar has improved over the summer, Spencer would be our No 1 ruck ahead of all the others. He is still raw and is still developing but the signs are very good. Spencer has got his opportunities through performance.

Meesen has his opportunity as a consequence of injury. On games to date Meesen has shown nothing to date. And at 23, the clock is ticking on a player whose only achievement at AFL is a high draft pick number.

Jamar only confirmed that he has plateaued since White retired. He is just not good enough.

I would not count your chickens either with Newton yet.

I was not actually commenting on Spencer's BOG I was paraphrasing some of the posters on this forum of vigorous debate.

I am always optimistic and will give everybody a chance to impress, rather than canning out of hand, I unfortunately support Everton from a distance in the English Premier League, we signed an injury prone Frenchman this year, and on the fan forums this decision was howled down, he has dug us out of the proverbial in the last couple of games, which I hoped and knew he would

As I said in a previous post, some posters on here must have latent masochistic tendencies as they seem to derive some sort of strange pleasure from tortuing themselves mentally watching Melbourne play each weekend.

I am only knew to actually supporting a specific team although I started watching the game in 1977 (aging myself there), I have played the game myself albeit rather badly, but I would never profess to be a judge (and jury) of what makes a successful AFL player, if we all did that for one Matty Warnock would have been on the scrapheap a couple of years back instaad of now being a late developing KPB.

Meesen could be exactly the same, he has had bits and pieces here and there, maybe a constistent run will show what he can or can't do, as for Jamar, he didn't get beaten in may contests, unfortunately he is not a Dean Cox David Hille, but then again not a lot of teams have a ruck similar to those two

Meesen could be exactly the same, he has had bits and pieces here and there, maybe a constistent run will show what he can or can't do, as for Jamar, he didn't get beaten in may contests, unfortunately he is not a Dean Cox David Hille, but then again not a lot of teams have a ruck similar to those two

Not on what he has shown to date. His efforts to date reflect what he cant do more than what he can Like I said I would be rapt if he plays capably or better at AFL level. If he does, it raises another questions as to why he has been so chronically poor and inept against mostly lesser opposition. However, I would like to see Meesen perform well if he gets an opportunity and will support him when he does.

As for Jamar, he does lose a fair share of contests and at his very but rare best he nullifies the opposition. But he does not win many contests. We need better than that.

i still wonder how on earth he was pick 8 in the 2004 national draft..?