Aussie

[Jammin' Demon 0]

Hi All,

Long time Demon fan, very excited about the start to the season, trying to stay realistic and not have my expectations climb too high too soon. Certainly exciting times though. I have been a little confused with the information about Aussie; Bails said in a press conference this week that we would have to get used to a forward line without Aussie and Jurrah. Yet the site states he will be back from injury in one week. Obviously he will have to return via the VFL but all going swimmingly will he really be more than 4-6 weeks away? Obviously he would have to earn his spot but I would be very happy to have him back.

Also about the Brisbane game, I will be very happy if we see some continued improvement in the areas of efficiency, ball movement and forward structure as we witnessed this week. I think we can be very happy with the intensity level and the back line when its up and about and hope for this to continue, so all going well I hope we will be in the game from beginning to end with a competitive performance.

Davey for captain next year (should Jr Mac retire), outstanding player leader and inspirational at the right times.

Happy to be on Demonland!

Go the Mighty Dees!

[Inner Demon 1]

I would suggest Bails is only talking about the immediate future where we will be a Jurrah & Wona-less forward line.

Hopefully Wona is back at Casey in a week and, as you say, pushing his way in after a month or so. He'll be an interesting one to watch given the somewhat unique circumstances of his injury issue. Good test for the Club's biomechanists to fix the flaw in his tackling and put the hamstring issues behind him.

[titan_uranus 25,176]

Under-rated on this site IMO. He is the straightest kick at goal you'll see, and he will provide good tackling pressure in the forwardline.

Hopefully we get him back within the next 4 weeks. I think he will make a difference to how many goals we can score.

[Trengove_is_God 0]

Absolutely no rush to bring him back.

Do not play him until the hammies are completely right, and he has no niggles and all scans are clear.

I dont care if thats another 10 weeks away, it has to be done.

[45HG 1,559]

Under-rated on this site IMO.

I actually think the opposite.

The guy played 18 games two seasons ago and it doesn't seem like his body is cut out for AFL footy.

I have high hopes for him as a Melbourne player, but I can't see how he's underrated. In the one season he played, he looked a skillful user of the ball whose performance fell away notably after his first 10 games.

Now, I know that there was a limited pre-season involved, but that seems to sum him up at the moment.

[titan_uranus 25,176]

I actually think the opposite.

The guy played 18 games two seasons ago and it doesn't seem like his body is cut out for AFL footy.

I have high hopes for him as a Melbourne player, but I can't see how he's underrated. In the one season he played, he looked a skillful user of the ball whose performance fell away notably after his first 10 games.

Now, I know that there was a limited pre-season involved, but that seems to sum him up at the moment.

It just seems to me that people have assumed that because it's been 2 years that others have gone past him.

I disagree that his performances 'fell away notably' after 10 games, but even so, for a first-year rookie to play 1 game, let alone the 18 he played, is no mean feat, and you'd expect his performances to vary.

He was second in the goalkicking, he was deadly accurate, and he applies pressure.

Whether or not his body is cut out for AFL football remains to be seen. It seems that the problem at the moment is his tackling motion, which the club is working on.

[Longsufferingnomore 1,670]

Under-rated on this site IMO. He is the straightest kick at goal you'll see, and he will provide good tackling pressure in the forwardline.

Hopefully we get him back within the next 4 weeks. I think he will make a difference to how many goals we can score.

Kelly O'Donnell said today on SEN that Wona will be back at Casey in two weeks.

[45HG 1,559]

He was second in the goalkicking, he was deadly accurate, and he applies pressure.

Whether or not his body is cut out for AFL football remains to be seen. It seems that the problem at the moment is his tackling motion, which the club is working on.

Second on the goalkicking is indeed a good effort, he was very accurate and did apply pressure, but I think given the fact that it "remains to be seen" if his body is cut out for AFL footy essentially is what I'm getting at.

I can't see how he should be rated higher given he's hardly played for a year and a half.

I just think it's hard to see where he's at when the team that he played in is so different to the one he needs to break into (when he's fit). The last team he played in had Buckley, Wheatley, Bell, White, Yze and Whelan in it!

I think he has a lot of promise, but I just don't see why he should be rated higher than he is currently when he can't get on the part and we're yet to see how he would fit into the current team if he did.

[loges 6,767]

Kelly O'Donnell said today on SEN that Wona will be back at Casey in two weeks.

Basically needs to get on the ground and play, then we'll all know

[big tuna 0]

Second on the goalkicking is indeed a good effort, he was very accurate and did apply pressure, but I think given the fact that it "remains to be seen" if his body is cut out for AFL footy essentially is what I'm getting at.

I can't see how he should be rated higher given he's hardly played for a year and a half.

I just think it's hard to see where he's at when the team that he played in is so different to the one he needs to break into (when he's fit). The last team he played in had Buckley, Wheatley, Bell, White, Yze and Whelan in it!

I think he has a lot of promise, but I just don't see why he should be rated higher than he is currently when he can't get on the part and we're yet to see how he would fit into the current team if he did.

Agree with that... will cause some tough decisions to be made at selection table. But if he does get back to previous form and fitness then he will be pushing the likes of Bennell out of the side.

[titan_uranus 25,176]

Second on the goalkicking is indeed a good effort, he was very accurate and did apply pressure, but I think given the fact that it "remains to be seen" if his body is cut out for AFL footy essentially is what I'm getting at.

I can't see how he should be rated higher given he's hardly played for a year and a half.

I did mean that it 'remains to be seen' in a good way (i.e. that if he gets over this inherent tackling problem then maybe he'll be fine).

I think he has a lot of promise, but I just don't see why he should be rated higher than he is currently when he can't get on the part and we're yet to see how he would fit into the current team if he did.

You could take the same argument but reverse it (i.e. we're yet to see if he fails in the current team, and his last efforts at AFL level were good enough to suggest he has a future, so why wouldn't he be a future prospect, and why wouldn't he get some sort of rating by us fans?).

Of course the answer to everything will only be known if and when he does return to AFL football. Until then, I still believe people don't really consider him a part of our plans for future success.

[Guest 45 double agent]

Agree with that... will cause some tough decisions to be made at selection table. If he does get back to previous form and fitness then he will be pushing Bennell out of the side.

he wont push JB out, aussie showed what he can do but that was 2008,JB is the future, its a real shame how its ended up for aussie.

[The Chazz 4,077]

he wont push JB out, aussie showed what he can do but that was 2008,JB is the future, its a real shame how its ended up for aussie.

I also believe aussie is a tad overrated on this forum. Fair enough, he finished 2nd in the goal kicking in his first season, but let's face it, that was for a team that finished 16th. I have Aussie and Jurrah in the same category, still not sure if they will become permanent MFC players for the next decade. They both have the obvious ability, and LJ has the obvious X-Factor, but when I look at the likes of Grimes (who has played similar games to Aussie), you can see where I am coming from.

Consistency is a big key for these two boys, if they can show it, that will take us to another level. My thoughts are not questioning their ability in any way, as we all know, they are both freakish, I just hope that once they have played around teh 40 games, I can get back on here and say they are worthy of the hype.

FWIW - I wouldn't have Aussie in my starting 22 should all players be available - LJ would be in a forward pocket. Maybe that's because it's been so long since we have seen Aussie play!

[Guest melbman]

well my 2 cents worth is:

I saw him at Junction oval training Monday of last week and he was doing sprints and high speed leg work, he looks like he will be back really soon and looking good, not chiselled but good

I've said it before but at the start of last season in the intra club game at Casey I gave him BOG, he was everywhere

I look forward to his return, the forward line pressure he exerts will add another element to the current team

[Cards13 9,117]

well my 2 cents worth is:

I saw him at Junction oval training Monday of last week and he was doing sprints and high speed leg work, he looks like he will be back really soon and looking good, not chiselled but good

I've said it before but at the start of last season in the intra club game at Casey I gave him BOG, he was everywhere

I look forward to his return, the forward line pressure he exerts will add another element to the current team

He had me so excited that day, he looked super fit and raring to go. He has the potential to add that something special to our fwd line.

[2014-Flag 0]

Agree with that... will cause some tough decisions to be made at selection table. But if he does get back to previous form and fitness then he will be pushing the likes of Bennell out of the side.

Wonna when fit will be a huge asset. We need a skilled hard at it crumbing forward, and

Wonna in full flight is one of the best in the AFL. He has to though convince the club he will not break down all the time, otherwise he will be traded

[jnrmac 20,276]

patience grasshopper....

[Guest Rojik of the Arctic]

He had me so excited that day, he looked super fit and raring to go. He has the potential to add that something special to our fwd line.

If we can hang on to the Millers and Newtons of this world we can afford to give him the time to get it right.

[Dappa Dan 2,188]

They may not be tall, but Petterd, Sylvia and Wonna in the same forward line will be enough to give teams a moment's pause. Especially with Grimes, Frawley and MacDonald streaming out of defence setting up the kind of plays that have had us licking our lips.

I won't get excited about Jurrah or Watts until they're both a couple of weeks away and playing for Casey, but in the meantime, I reckon there have been small forward lines with less firepower who've done good things over the years. Think Porplyzia, Brown... We won't look as inept up forward as we have.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

Second on the goalkicking is indeed a good effort, he was very accurate and did apply pressure, but I think given the fact that it "remains to be seen" if his body is cut out for AFL footy essentially is what I'm getting at.

I can't see how he should be rated higher given he's hardly played for a year and a half.

I just think it's hard to see where he's at when the team that he played in is so different to the one he needs to break into (when he's fit). The last team he played in had Buckley, Wheatley, Bell, White, Yze and Whelan in it!

I think he has a lot of promise, but I just don't see why he should be rated higher than he is currently when he can't get on the part and we're yet to see how he would fit into the current team if he did.

Good post. Until he actually does perform on the field of play then he is just a possible as much as Maric or other small options..

If he comes back fit and performs well then great.. but at the moment his fitness and performance are unknowns.

Wonna in full flight is one of the best in the AFL. He has to though convince the club he will not break down all the time, otherwise he will be traded

At what??? Betts, Porplyzia, Le Cras, Rioli all play the small forward role better and more consistently than Wonna. He is unproven at this point. He had a good first year where he flew under the radar of oppositions whose defences were rarely as accountable as they should have been against such a weak team like MFC.

If he breaks down all the time, what club in their right mind would trade for him? Would you buy a car that was a lemon?

[JACKATTACK 17]

I'm told he'll line up for Casey Reserves this weekend for a half.

[Adam The God 30,610]

Agree with that... will cause some tough decisions to be made at selection table. But if he does get back to previous form and fitness then he will be pushing the likes of Bennell out of the side.

Perhaps. It may allow Bennell to play off half back too.

[Deeoldfart 8,106]

Perhaps. It may allow Bennell to play off half back too.

That may or may not be a good thing IMO. I love Benny's pace and run out of defence, but for mine he will need to become more accountable for his opponent, and make fewer errors under pressure, before I would rate him as a strong half back candidate. There's a fair chance he will get there with experience, but on form this year, he offers much more as a forward than a defender.

[Grand New Flag 3,227]

Unfortunently, I no longer have Wonna in our long term plans. I simply don't think his body can withstand the rigours of AFL football. I hope I am wrong, but I don't think we are likley to see him play in the red and blue again.

[Cards13 9,117]

If we can hang on to the Millers and Newtons of this world we can afford to give him the time to get it right.

If we follow the Netwton/Miller premise of potential and time at the club Wonna will be a MFC players for the next 45 years....

Can not wait to see him back and firing.