I think your thread'a a year too late. I ubderstand your points but watch him this year. He's clearly turned a corner off the field both with his behaviour and his training. His OP is behind him and he's Usain Bolt compared to Brock 'I choose Carlton' Mclean. He's very rarely rubbed out so that's a silly point. People such as Colin who come from a point of adversity(OP) with a history of immature behaviour who are able to turn it around and become solid performers often make the best leaders. They know what sacrifices have to be made and work through their issues. I don't think he's a captain but he could become an important on field leader.

Good post. Agree on all points.

He's having his best preseason ever lets judge him in 6 moths time ay....?

There's every reason to be positive about our future, and I'd say 80% of the list has enormous upside. But there are a few names that people here are getting perhaps a tad overexcited about. Sylvia chugs along for 5 years, then has a good/solid season and suddenly after a good pre-season he's the next messiah. Jamar plays half a dozen good games after half a career of nuthin' and now we're to believe our midfield success hangs on him?

Don't get me wrong. I hope they maintain their form, just like everyone else. I'd even go so far as to say that Sylvia has gotten to the stage where I have a degree of confidence in him I never had before. I just reckon getting excited when the player confirms the faith is more meaningful than mindlessly backing him without having seen him fulfill his potential. If that's what the OP was going for, then I reckon it's fair enough. Sylvia took huge steps last year. But he's not there just yet.

In countless threads there are admiring references to Sylvia with posters exhibiting great certainty that he's a star and that he will play a huge role this year and for years to come.

Really?

Must say I really hope you are right but I have my doubts. Sure, he was better last year. For a 60 gamer , picked 4 in the draft, to have obtained not 1 vote in the Brownlow [before 2009] was remarkable. We'd all seen flashes of ability but how often was it produced.

A flaky personality, who's demonstrated a refusal to look after himself away from the club, he did show a bit last year,but about time. How often has he disappointed? He's slow--perhaps a result of the o.p- and he has to make the most of the remaining talents he has. I'm uncertain that he ever will, consistently.And at his age and experience, it's vital that he does.

Those of you who admire his long bombs for goal, usually on the run, ask yourselves the question--how often does he do it? What's his accuracy like for set shots?

And ask yourselves, how likely is he to be rubbed out for a few weeks because other clubs know he can be easily distracted and got in.

Not a team leader's bootlace in my view-- I hope he proves me wrong

If Sylvia goes backwards he will surely cop it. Last year's good form will soon be forgotten and we will remember his efforts prior to '09 and fair enough too, 1 good year out of 7 is no where near go enough. He's a very important player and will need to step up for years to come, especially now McLean is not at the club and I think he will too, we desperately need a player of Sylvia's ability to play consistantly well to take the pressure off the other midfielders.

If Sylvia goes backwards he will surely cop it. Last year's good form will soon be forgotten and we will remember his efforts prior to '09 and fair enough too, 1 good year out of 7 is no where near go enough. He's a very important player and will need to step up for years to come, especially now McLean is not at the club and I think he will too, we desperately need a player of Sylvia's ability to play consistantly well to take the pressure off the other midfielders.

sylvia has been great on the training track - shows he has matured.

The psychological state that so many threads evince swings from group euphoria to group hysteria to group panic to the one that this thread reflects: group apprehension.

Col will be good, barring an injury or suspension. My reasoning is that with all the hard preparatory work he is just not going to slip backwards. On last year's evidence he is the one most likely to break a game open. He's NOT slow (Green is slow-ish - not that it affects his skillful game), is hard to stop, can take a strong mark overhead, and kicks like a mule, an accurate mule. There's no other player in the side like him, and every side needs one.

If he's been over-rated, then it's the group euphoria responsible. No need to swing the other way, group. I think we know what he's capable of and should calmly expect to see it even more often this year.

What the Champion Data 2010 AFL Prospectus (the must have guide for any serious footy fan - player profiles and stats so much better than AFL Season Guide or Inside Footy) reveals about Sylvia's 2009...

- recorded personal bests in disposals, contested possesions, uncontested possesions, goals, score assists and tackles.

- recorded the most inside 50s of any Melbourne player, generating a goal from 30% of those entries - ranked Nm 1 at Melbourne and the 6th highest percentage of any of the AFL's top 50 inside 50 players during the Home and Away rounds.

- Despite missing 5 games he was involved in 25% of Melbourne's scoring chains - ranked second at the club - and on average was the leading score involvement at the Dees

- his skills were highlighted by the fact he averaged 34 metres per kick - the most at Melbourne - at an average retention of 65%.

-From long range (outside 40metres) in the past 2 seasons he has kicked an elite 24 goals from 34 shots

What Demoniac says!

His progress has been frustrating, slowed by OP and by a lack of professionalism. But its 2010 and his attitude on and off the field are vastly improved. When the Sherrin is in his hands things happen. Lots of players rack up possies without doing much damage. The stats show that when Sylvia gets it he is damaging. Coming off a career best season and with another good pre season under his belt there is no obvious reason why he won't maintain his 2009 level or even improve. Definitely a key player as we progress towards MFC PS 13.

Edited February 15, 201015 yr by demoniac

- recorded the most inside 50s of any Melbourne player, generating a goal from 30% of those entries - ranked Nm 1 at Melbourne and the 6th highest percentage of any of the AFL's top 50 inside 50 players during the Home and Away rounds.

- Despite missing 5 games he was involved in 25% of Melbourne's scoring chains - ranked second at the club - and on average was the leading score involvement at the Dees

Those two stats alone are absolute beauties. Simply if he fires we kick goals. Well there you go. I knew he stepped up last year but I didn't realise how much.

It's all up to Col, Last year proved he could do it.

This year he could become an elite AFL Player winning games off is own Boot. But it's all up to Colin and his Mindset.

What the Champion Data 2010 AFL Prospectus (the must have guide for any serious footy fan - player profiles and stats so much better than AFL Season Guide or Inside Footy) reveals about Sylvia's 2009...

- recorded personal bests in disposals, contested possesions, uncontested possesions, goals, score assists and tackles.

- recorded the most inside 50s of any Melbourne player, generating a goal from 30% of those entries - ranked Nm 1 at Melbourne and the 6th highest percentage of any of the AFL's top 50 inside 50 players during the Home and Away rounds.

- Despite missing 5 games he was involved in 25% of Melbourne's scoring chains - ranked second at the club - and on average was the leading score involvement at the Dees

- his skills were highlighted by the fact he averaged 34 metres per kick - the most at Melbourne - at an average retention of 65%.

-From long range (outside 40metres) in the past 2 seasons he has kicked an elite 24 goals from 34 shots

What Demoniac says!

His progress has been frustrating, slowed by OP and by a lack of professionalism. But its 2010 and his attitude on and off the field are vastly improved. When the Sherrin is in his hands things happen. Lots of players rack up possies without doing much damage. The stats show that when Sylvia gets it he is damaging. Coming off a career best season and with another good pre season under his belt there is no obvious reason why he won't maintain his 2009 level or even improve. Definitely a key player as we progress towards MFC PS 13.

Thanks for the report. Confirms what all bar a few of us already know. Watching Sylvia develop into the player we hoped fors has been a shining light in 3 shocking seasons of football

Thanks Demoniac good report and backs up my opinion of him being one of the most important MFC players, its in his hands....

Maybe it is just me but does anyone else think that the cricketer Steve Smith looks like a young Col?

What the Champion Data 2010 AFL Prospectus (the must have guide for any serious footy fan - player profiles and stats so much better than AFL Season Guide or Inside Footy) reveals about Sylvia's 2009...

- recorded personal bests in disposals, contested possesions, uncontested possesions, goals, score assists and tackles.

- recorded the most inside 50s of any Melbourne player, generating a goal from 30% of those entries - ranked Nm 1 at Melbourne and the 6th highest percentage of any of the AFL's top 50 inside 50 players during the Home and Away rounds.

- Despite missing 5 games he was involved in 25% of Melbourne's scoring chains - ranked second at the club - and on average was the leading score involvement at the Dees

- his skills were highlighted by the fact he averaged 34 metres per kick - the most at Melbourne - at an average retention of 65%.

-From long range (outside 40metres) in the past 2 seasons he has kicked an elite 24 goals from 34 shots

What Demoniac says!

His progress has been frustrating, slowed by OP and by a lack of professionalism. But its 2010 and his attitude on and off the field are vastly improved. When the Sherrin is in his hands things happen. Lots of players rack up possies without doing much damage. The stats show that when Sylvia gets it he is damaging. Coming off a career best season and with another good pre season under his belt there is no obvious reason why he won't maintain his 2009 level or even improve. Definitely a key player as we progress towards MFC PS 13.

Thanks for that post.. quite enlightening. And still it adds tothe frustration..lol. I amprobably not alone in thinking ( despite all his shenanagans of previous times ) that he is only just a breath away from steeping up on the dias after stamping "Col Sylvia" all over a game... Proof he can sits in the stats above...so one can only take it that there's another element, another defining quality o his game that he needs to work on...in the old days we called it "polish" Stats wontsay how acurate those inside 50's were. Yes 30% onflowed to goals but how much work was required by those accepting th ekick etc.

Im not trying to get clever or pedantic just trying to extrapolate the data into a context. Over the years Ive noticed Col can deliver two types of kicks.. Some are sublime..and the rest just an arms reach away from being so. ( the occasionsal duffer not withstanding ) He sems to play games in either cruise mode...or really switched on. If he can maintain the "on" for 4 quarters he wil truly arrive and the armchair skeptics ( I too once a paid up member) can rejoice in a prestige player in Red and Blue.

I dont really count intra's as a real formguide. You never really going to take out your own team mate......its a peripheral indicator at best. we will know what sort of Sylvia we have when the real footy starts.

Hopefully the fully focussed professional turns up as that might just shut a lot of us up!!! gladly

Thanks for that post.. quite enlightening. And still it adds tothe frustration..lol. I amprobably not alone in thinking ( despite all his shenanagans of previous times ) that he is only just a breath away from steeping up on the dias after stamping "Col Sylvia" all over a game... Proof he can sits in the stats above...so one can only take it that there's another element, another defining quality o his game that he needs to work on...in the old days we called it "polish" Stats wontsay how acurate those inside 50's were. Yes 30% onflowed to goals but how much work was required by those accepting th ekick etc.

Im not trying to get clever or pedantic just trying to extrapolate the data into a context. Over the years Ive noticed Col can deliver two types of kicks.. Some are sublime..and the rest just an arms reach away from being so. ( the occasionsal duffer not withstanding ) He sems to play games in either cruise mode...or really switched on. If he can maintain the "on" for 4 quarters he wil truly arrive and the armchair skeptics ( I too once a paid up member) can rejoice in a prestige player in Red and Blue.

I dont really count intra's as a real formguide. You never really going to take out your own team mate......its a peripheral indicator at best. we will know what sort of Sylvia we have when the real footy starts.

Hopefully the fully focussed professional turns up as that might just shut a lot of us up!!! gladly

well he kicked 17 goals in 17 games--must say I thought he kicked more than that. Petterd kicked more than Sylvia and my impression is` that he [sylvia] missed many easy set shots for goal--does` anyone have that stat?

I think he's been suspended 4 times, though upon reflection, one suspension was by his`club!

In any event I'm greatly impressed by the poster who mentioned his involvement with some young supporters so perhaps he has turned the corner.

I'm sorry to be negative, indeed I hope he really turns it on.Good that he's having a great pre-season.

I mentioned Petterd for another reason also.I met an ex MFC seconds player who's very loyal and involved with the club. He told me that he thought Petterd's efforts last year in a weak team were remarkable and that he doesn't get the credit he deserves. It was `this` which prompted me to look at his stats

well he kicked 17 goals in 17 games--must say I thought he kicked more than that. Petterd kicked more than Sylvia and my impression is` that he [sylvia] missed many easy set shots for goal--does` anyone have that stat?

I think he's been suspended 4 times, though upon reflection, one suspension was by his`club!

In any event I'm greatly impressed by the poster who mentioned his involvement with some young supporters so perhaps he has turned the corner.

I'm sorry to be negative, indeed I hope he really turns it on.Good that he's having a great pre-season.

I mentioned Petterd for another reason also.I met an ex MFC seconds player who's very loyal and involved with the club. He told me that he thought Petterd's efforts last year in a weak team were remarkable and that he doesn't get the credit he deserves. It was `this` which prompted me to look at his stats

Ricky Petterd is great, i have always rated him quietly.

This could be his year.

Colin's a high draft pick. From a third of the way through the season he exploded with confidence, and started to show his supreme worth. He played well in the intra club game, there's no knowing that he'll stop this form he brought through season 2009

I think there is some evidence to suggest Col started to turn the corner last year both physically and mentally. He screwed up again and got punished and fronted by his team-mates. He admitted that it hurt him in the article that appeared on the MFC website last year. This was a catlyst.

He also stated that he felt his body was turning the corner. A combination of vast improvement in his workrate on the ground and his apparent hunger lead to a much greater on field influence.

A fitter hungrier Colin Sylvia will have large impact on our performance this year.

It's a strange thread to start denigrating a player who comes into the season with good form from last year and from what we have been told his best ever pre-season.

Col Sylvia took a big step last year and is easily our hardest nut and probably second only to Flash for long straight kicking.

I genuinely think with a big 2010 under his belt (and no off field rubbish) That he could lead the Demons.

got a sneaky 20 each way on him for the brownlow at 500 to one. i would really like him to have a great year...

I think that we all expect more from him simplly because of where he was drafted, and rightly so.

He showed us what he is capable of in several games last year. I can recall Bruce McAvaney saying that Davey will wini our B+F, but Sylvia's best footy was by far the best by any Melbourne player last year. (during R22 game, where ha and Jurrah dominated the Saints in the 1st half).

I am not sure if it is me, but I think he played his best footy against the godd teams, not racking up easy possessions late in the game when the game is one.

He WILL be a match winner for us and WILL be one of our 5 best players for the next 5 years!.................. I hope.

Just hope he can cope with a tagger cos he will be watched more carefully this year.