Wona is our best small forward when fit. Good footy smarts and good goal sense. Showed it in Darwin when he used his body beautifully to take a mark. Does need to show he can get fit and stay fit but to that end has had good continuity in his football this year. Bottom line though is that a combination of his undoubted talent and the reality of a few years of restricted drafts as GC and GWS means that he will be on our list post 2011.

Morton is a classic tall utility equally at home spoiling the ball in the defensive goalsquare or taking a mark in the attacking goalsquare and banging one through. Yep he has done both this year for the Dees. I am happy with Morton being sent back to Casey to work on his defensive pressure skills - all part of a good apprenticeship - but I am pretty confident that he will become an important player for us perhaps as a tall wingman adept at finding space but strong enough in the air to have an impact drifting forward or back and be hard to match up on.

Edited July 13, 201015 yr by demoniac

Aaah. Just when I thought demonland was going to the dogs with abusive PMs. A refreshingly courteous post. Now to return the favour.

I do however become frustrated with what seems to be a lack of football knowledge and smarts on this site.

You and me both. I used to be like you when I first got into d'land. Thinking it was my duty to bring education to the great unwashed. But I was pretty quickly put in my place. What I can't accept now, is the idea that the FANS on this site aren't allowed to run wild and free in their admiration of players. You HAVE to give them that right I reckon. Particularly when a player as young as someone like Morton, has played a few games where he was BOG or near enough to. On the other hand, of course, when a player is in need of a bit of pressure from the club, footy department, and members in general, it can be a bit tiresome to hear excuses put forward over and over. e.g. I reckon PJ has a future... But I realise that comment will draw criticism from the naysayers, so I belt up... for now. It's not an easily explained middle ground that the powers that be at demonland have maintained. As far as I can tell, they're looking for the maximum amount of reality mixed with the maximum amount of MFC worship. The two don't go hand-in-hand of course....

Back to me being bias. I guess I react to the Morton posts most because he is the one who seems to be talked up most out of them all !!!

You really think so? I reckon there's a few that are put on higher pedestals. Maybe he's the one that sticks out because he's just one you see little in. I'd say Frawley, Grimes, Sylvia, Green, Scully and Trengove would be his main competition in the sense of how much they're talked up. The difference is, you likely rate them just as highly as anyone. Am I right?

I am happy to have a civilized discussion about the Morton issue and whether or not he really has "runs on the board" or just "games" on the board.

I think we may have already been there on another thread. And I've been given a pretty hard time about my post length from mods (rightly so, I might add), so I'm happy to dwell on it in PMs if you are?

My last post about him seemed to invoke a lot of anger from you and I am sorry if you felt I was too harsh. I am not having a dig at him. I am simply a fence sitter with him as opposed to being part of the "Morton is a gun" camp.

Apologies about the anger. Shoot from the hip reaction. Most threads and posts get lost in the mire within a day or two. Also, might have something to do with the "how wrong were you about Morton" comment a while ago, when he was last dropped. Which I thought was flat out wrong. And I'm surprised to hear you say you're "on the fence." That's encouraging. Given how strongly you reacted to his supporters AND how you didn't seem to mind recent omission, I thought you were all for getting rid of him.

I do love our club and I hope that Morton will become as good as what most seem to think he already is including yourself Dappa.

Aha. Not true. I don't think he's there yet. Far from it. What he has, is the makings of a great player. At this stage, he's a player that under the right conditions can win brownlow votes. What I think he can be with development, is a player who can do it MOST of the time. Not just SOME of the time, as it currently stands.

I'm not sure how much football

people play on this site and some may argue that it has no relevance to opinion but I will ask this Dappa....

I would like to know what you think Morton's strong points/strengths are ?

Again. We could probably do this in PMs. But just quickly... I think most things I'd say are fairly stock-standard. Nothing that's not already been covered on here, over and over. He has a great engine, I BELIEVE he has great delivery by foot, assuming his team runs for him to make position. Not as great as Davey and Trengove. But then, who is? I think this may be one thing we differ on. Also, reflected in Gotch's comments a couple of weeks ago, he's a guy you want kicking long. Some of his range-finding can be iffy, and that's what, I think, people are losing patience with, If it's a dinky, Davey type 20-25 metre pass, sometimes he chips when he should stab, or stabs when he should chip. Moreso the first one though. Maybe due to his height. Maybe technique. Maybe he doesn't find the time to get balanced, and reverts to a last-resort chip kick which sets up his team-mate for a big spoil when he should be hitting him hard on the chest. The point is, I think he's a better kick than he's showing. In open, free-flowing games... like the Essendon one... he'd punish the opposition. In one-on-one hard checking type games, where you need to be accurate over short distances, he loses a bit of potency. I think this is something that's as simple as playing to your strengths. Something Judd does, and hopefully Scully will do. Those guys, like Morton, chip when they should stab. Though with them it's a distance thing. 40+ metres and they put up a hospital. At long range, I've found myself at times saying Morton's a surgeon. I also think he's smarter than your average footballer. He finds space incredibly well at times, and knows how to accumulate touches with enough room from his opponent to do something with them.

His weaknesses are interesting, and only very few. It's also my belief that his build has a part to play in all of them. I laugh when people say they want him to take over Bruce's spot. Defensively he's no Bruce. In fact, very few players are as good as Bruce going back the other way. I think he's genuinely apprehensive when it comes to regular contact and ballwinning body-on-body stuff. But let me be clear... it's not physicality he's afraid of. I believe it's failure that spooks him. I've seen him throw himself into marking contests when the only option was to put your body on the line. You might only get a couple of these a game, particularly in the loose role he has been known to play. You know the ones. Where you're backing back and you know you're the last line of defence in an opposition goal opportunity. It's in the 99% of OTHER physical contests that he has issues. I think he knows all too well he's going to get bumped off the ball by almost any player in the AFL. He's not the lightest player going round... but most players who ARE lighter have lower centres of gravity and can clean him up by getting underneath him most of the time. I think he knows he doesn't have the physical strength to tackle with intent, so I think he often plays the percentages and waits for an outside possession, or lays a half arsed tackle to force the opponent to dispose and remove him from the play. So mostly, it's his defensive footy that isn't quite up to scratch. Then you have the 50/50 contest, and ballwinning in the clinches, which it seems, is 90% of footy these days. The same thing applies as I described above. I think he doesn't go quite as hard as, say, a Jones does. Simply because he knows he'll lose the contest and cost his team the ball. Like I say, this is my BELIEF. This is just opinion. Not fact.

Now. What I think you'll find most posters worth their salt are doing is crystal-ball-gazing. A lot like to draw long bows. e.g. Watts will be a gun because he was a pick #1. What I'm doing is going by what he was like when playing as a junior and being one of the bigger kids, AND looking at what he's done as a demon. As a junior he spent time forward. He even took contested marks and took them well. I think all of us are waiting to see him find that size and that confidence in his physicality. Watts is game by game gaining VERY slowly that confidence. And all tall players playing a KP role do. Not many walk in and just KNOW (Rivers) how to take contested marks with 28 year old giants. I think it's not a long bow to draw to suggest that with all the ball he's gathered ALREADY in his 45 game career, he has the makings of a good winger, HB flank rebounder-type player. Particularly if he can get free and pass long into a functional forward line. Like the one we saw for the first time on the weekend containing Green, Jurrah and Watts. Now. If he puts on weight, like we all hope he will, I believe (because it happened to me, and to many footballers I know) he'll rediscover what he loved about competing in the air, and he'll suddenly be a more attractive target even when surrounded by opposition, or being tailed by a single defender on a lead. If we can add that kick to the forward line? Even as a flanker/lead up CHF... well then bob's your uncle. No more desperation to find our second KP tall.

There' I've gone and done it again. Waffled on too much. Mods are gonna kill me.

Apparently Buckheimer's bought the rights; stay tuned for DGS ( demons gone sick)

Actually sort of interesting .... just a bit tedious hey

Apparently Buckheimer's bought the rights; stay tuned for DGS ( demons gone sick)

Actually sort of interesting .... just a bit tedious hey

Wouldn't you have learned by now just to scroll over anything with the angry little cartoon demon?

:D

Sorry to hijack the Wonna thread.

Aaah. Just when I thought demonland was going to the dogs with abusive PMs. A refreshingly courteous post. Now to return the favour.

...

Mods aren't gunna kill you.

Enjoyed the insightful read on your thoughts anyway..I think you delivered to stevethemanjordan's request fwiw, in spades.

There' I've gone and done it again. Waffled on too much. Mods are gonna kill me.

Your thoughts on Morton are much appreciated.

He's in the Watts camp in that if he has the drive to push himself both phusically and mentally then he will become a great player in the next 3 to 4 years. It's all up to Cale.

Aussie has been at the club a year longer than Blease, but on the senior list for the same period of time.

I see, so when Aussie is ready to celebrate life membership with Melb for 10 years of service his first year, where he played 18 games, won't count ?

Wonaeamirri is a talented footballer, but we won't see his best until he sheds plenty of kilos. A starving Byron Pickett wouldn't eat him due to the excessive calorie intake.

Edited July 14, 201015 yr by Hannabal

Very pleased with Wona's game today. He seized the opportunity created by injuries to others and showed he belongs at this level. Clearly much fitter now than earlier in the year, today he showed endevour, football smarts and beautiful skills. 2008 wasn't an aberration, he is our best small forward prospect. Here's hoping he remains injury free.

Your thoughts on Morton are much appreciated.

He's in the Watts camp in that if he has the drive to push himself both phusically and mentally then he will become a great player in the next 3 to 4 years. It's all up to Cale.

Today's game highlighted your post above.I agree with you- they have the ability, now up to them somewhat- application is what they need to pursue. The same with Jurrah, Wona and several others.. A huge pre season will give this team a huge lift..premiership football they displayed today.

Edited July 25, 201014 yr by jayceebee31

Like to hear from others regarding Aussie Wonaeamirri: I would hope that he is given a chance to survive as his last two years have been a wipe out. This year he is struggling for consistency which has been highlighted again in the Casey match report.

I noticed the thread on players to be cut and only Rhino bought up Wonna as an option to cut - you have no heart Rhino!! But I agree with the sentiment somewhat.

I would fully expect that he is part of the list again next year but I would also expect that if he is not consistently playing footy with the Dees, regardless of injury he would find his spot in serious jeopardy. Bennell IMO has all the potential to sail past him. Other players like Bail also have so much upside.

It will be interesting to see how this eventuates. If he is still here it will mean he is playing the footy that we all expect he can but the sentiment can only last so long.

Even Rhino isnt right all the time

Wona is returning from an injury that has kept him from not only playing but developing

He has specialist foward pocket written all over him IMO

Is Quick

Can change gears

Evasive

Good closing speed

Keeps his feet

Stands up in Tackles

Knows where the goals are

Positions himself well around a pack

Reads the play

Safe Mark

Good set shot for goal

Can Tackle

Name any other player on our list that meets the foward pocket role better than Wona

The one thing he needs to develop more is his opposite kicking foot to be a nightmare to play on

Very pleased with Wona's game today. He seized the opportunity created by injuries to others and showed he belongs at this level. Clearly much fitter now than earlier in the year, today he showed endevour, football smarts and beautiful skills. 2008 wasn't an aberration, he is our best small forward prospect. Here's hoping he remains injury free.

Was best game since injury. He looked fit and just was growing in confidence as game went.

It was a good reminder, why we were so excited during his first season, Hes on the way back.

His forward pressure is the best in the team.

It was instrumental to many of our goals today, especially early on.

He isn't at peak fitness yet, but he was chasing well and had good speed on the burst.

Looks and moves like a portly indigenous Richmond player of the 70s and early 80s (I think). A natural footballer.

As far as fluid movement and kicking skills is up there with Davey as the best in the side. I hope his body allows him to build his fitness to the level to get on the park consistently.

Well exceeded my expectations yesterday. Great stuff. 4 goal assists, hard tackling and chasing, some dodgy field passing mixed with a couple of thunderbolts. Nice stuff.

I thought he was past it!

I thought injury had robbed him of his chance and would struggle.

However He proved me wrong in a big way.

I thought he was great today did everthing asked of him.

As long as he can stay on the park he is in our best 25 players.