This young fella has impressed me so much with his attitude and sheer addiction for the leather pill,it's so good to see a young DEE with so much heart and willingness to put his body on the line for his teamates and club.I lost count of the times I told mum that it was McKenzie at the bottom of packs against the enemy on QB.This young fella is a bloody rippa and a true Ranga Hard Nut. Gotta luv him in RED&BLUE.

This young fella has impressed me so much with his attitude and sheer addiction for the leather pill,it's so good to see a young DEE with so much heart and willingness to put his body on the line for his teamates and club.I lost count of the times I told mum that it was McKenzie at the bottom of packs against the enemy on QB.This young fella is a bloody rippa and a true Ranga Hard Nut. Gotta luv him in RED&BLUE.

Yep--his heart beats true for the Red & the Blue.Just imagine when we get Viney- the mess we will do in the guts.

GO DEES !

I love him. He stays in the side barring a form slump for mine. Very much a required player.

I love him. He stays in the side barring a form slump for mine. Very much a required player.

We play well when he is in, so he deserves his spot no doubt. was crashing into packs on QB. mind you if McDonald and Sylvia come back, then someone like Jordie will go. he is a good kick, pretty good decision maker but does lack that extra pace at the elite level.

We play well when he is in, so he deserves his spot no doubt. was crashing into packs on QB. mind you if McDonald and Sylvia come back, then someone like Jordie will go. he is a good kick, pretty good decision maker but does lack that extra pace at the elite level.

Shouldn't be dropped again, I don't care who comes in, there are several players that should be dropped ahead of Jordie, even those who play in different roles. We're a better team with him out there.

Shouldn't be dropped again, I don't care who comes in, there are several players that should be dropped ahead of Jordie, even those who play in different roles. We're a better team with him out there.

Agree 100%. We do look better with him hunting packs and laying tackles. Pretty big endorsement for a rookie.

Competition for spots is going to be fierce one everybody is available, so hopefully he keeps up his form to mean he cant be dropped.

Shouldn't be dropped again, I don't care who comes in, there are several players that should be dropped ahead of Jordie, even those who play in different roles. We're a better team with him out there.

Easy statement to make.

Name them.

Easy statement to make.

Name them.

Fair enough

I would have him in the team before:

Bartram, Bruce, Garland, Watts, Rivers, Gysberts, Dunn, Jetta, Miller.

Which is not to say I advocate dropping these players I would just have Jordie ahead of them. Such is my opinion of him.

Fair enough

I would have him in the team before:

Bartram, Bruce, Garland, Watts, Rivers, Gysberts, Dunn, Jetta, Miller.

Which is not to say I advocate dropping these players I would just have Jordie ahead of them. Such is my opinion of him.

Minus Garland, and that's spot on. McKenzie's easily doing more than anyone on the list.

Fair enough

I would have him in the team before:

Bartram, Bruce, Garland, Watts, Rivers, Gysberts, Dunn, Jetta, Miller.

Which is not to say I advocate dropping these players I would just have Jordie ahead of them. Such is my opinion of him.

Well stated-

i definately love mckenzie, a true hard nut, but also love the loyalty he showed to the red and blue by not leaving for adelaide.

definately a player that is in the mould of james mcdonald, just hard at it, constant tryer at every contest.

Totally agree! There is a very close association between Melbourne's good games and Jordie being in the side. He is a hard, in-&-under player. He's young. For me, he ranks with Gysberts as the find of the season. Blind Freddie knew Scully & Trengove were sheer gold. Jordie's just honest & tough. He's a definite "keeper". Who would I drop instead? Anyone in the forward-line except Green, and the clock is ticking very loudly for Cam Bruce. I hope that he makes a dignified departure at year's end, He deserves that.

Fair enough

I would have him in the team before:

Bartram, Bruce, Garland, Watts, Rivers, Gysberts, Dunn, Jetta, Miller.

Which is not to say I advocate dropping these players I would just have Jordie ahead of them. Such is my opinion of him.

Yeah, I might disagree with one or two of those, but mostly yeah. I couldn't think higher of him.

That said, there has to be room in your mind to drop a VERY good player if they're not in form, or if they're struggling with soreness. The way he plays at his age? He's gonna be one of those guys that's really gonna need to learn to love the new ice baths.

Fair enough

I would have him in the team before:

Bartram, Bruce, Garland, Watts, Rivers, Gysberts, Dunn, Jetta, Miller.

That is a bizarre list, given none of those players, bar Gysberts, play a similar role. At a stretch you could include Bruce, maybe Dunn, but Garland, Watts, Rivers and Miller as talls and Bartram as a small defender are in no competition with McKenzie for a spot. They have zero impact on whether he can/should/does get a game each week.

I'm all for playing McKenzie every week, and I think that he is the perfect Junior replacement for the next 10 seasons (hopefully as a leader too), but if you're looking at team balance, you need to consider which of these players you wouldn't play ahead of McKenzie

Scully, Trengove, Jones, Moloney, Sylvia, Davey, Morton, Gysberts, McDonald

For mine, Jones and Moloney are the two who I think McKenzie will pass. Moloney might save himself long term if he becomes captain, but Jones could be the sort of borderline player who might struggle to play 22 games a season and become a permanent fixture in our midfield. Especially if/when Blease, Tapscott and Gysberts all become permanent fixtures.

...

Good post.

Exactly what I was trying to get at - who plays the same or a similar role

as Jordie?

In the end I also agree that Jones is the player in most immediate danger.

Jones has played some great games so far this year and he's still ahead... for now.

That is a bizarre list, given none of those players, bar Gysberts, play a similar role. At a stretch you could include Bruce, maybe Dunn, but Garland, Watts, Rivers and Miller as talls and Bartram as a small defender are in no competition with McKenzie for a spot. They have zero impact on whether he can/should/does get a game each week.

I'm all for playing McKenzie every week, and I think that he is the perfect Junior replacement for the next 10 seasons (hopefully as a leader too), but if you're looking at team balance, you need to consider which of these players you wouldn't play ahead of McKenzie

Scully, Trengove, Jones, Moloney, Sylvia, Davey, Morton, Gysberts, McDonald

For mine, Jones and Moloney are the two who I think McKenzie will pass. Moloney might save himself long term if he becomes captain, but Jones could be the sort of borderline player who might struggle to play 22 games a season and become a permanent fixture in our midfield. Especially if/when Blease, Tapscott and Gysberts all become permanent fixtures.

Not bizarre at all. I would play Jordie ahead of the ones I mentioned because I believe the team is better off with him in it, in the short and long term. Yes someone like Dunn plays in a different role and it is a role we depserately need which scores him some points, but Jordie is a better player and better by enough to cover for that.

Going the other way you might say that Garland and Rivers are better players, but are in my opinion one of them is surplus to requirements playing tall in the backline. With the exception of the North game where we were out-talled we have always looked better when we have opted for running midfielders where we were able to pressure the opposition mids, early on with Bail, McKenzie, Scully and Trengove all making good with their speed fitness and intensity.

We have the backline settled, now let's settle the midfield, leave the forward line for our premiership year.