- Didn't have a great season at senior level. Went back to Casey and became a valuable contributor. Will need to improve next year. Luke Holmesby melbournefc

Games MFC 2010 16 Career 84 Goals MFC 2010 19 Career 86

Games CSFC 2010 5 Goals CSFC 2010 11

2011.... despite signing is make or break. Either he steps up or will follow Miller via the Scorps out the door. Actually has the capability just needs more application and consistency. Heres hoping !!!

Fitness is important for Bate and he's a momentum/ confidence player.

Still has a lot of value in the forward line.

It's getting crowded in there though, so a good player is always going to get squeezed out if there are no injuries.

Like what's happening at the Pies, this is what we want.

Agree, this guy needs to stay fit as soon as he has a few weeks off it takes him 3-4 to get going again. One thing he needs to work on is narrowing the gap between his good and bad, at his best he is a good AFL player when he has an off day he would be lucky to get a game at Casey. If he can't address improving his bad games he might have limited game time in 2011. On the other side if he can turn his bad games into average games and throw in his good games more regular he will be a damaging forward.

The club by looking (still ) for that stay at home type forward have by so decreed that Watts and Jurrah will be forward 50 but with licence . Matty could have audioned better for a more permanent sharp end role but as suggested fitness and abilty ( read able to deliver) quashed all that. He needs to be wary as others are to come on board whilst some still have room to step up. The Dees have a new found abilty to cut underperformers. Don't be the next NQR Batey !!! Let's see the A game from here on in.

Edited September 17, 201014 yr by belzebub59

His trick is the line breaking goal from outside 50. But his lack of agility and resulting inability to provide defensive pressure in the forward line is a major limitation. For example in R22 North's backline took big advantage of this.

Bate seems to have slipped quickly from most calculations as to being in our best side. He had an interrupted start to the season injury wise and never really recovered from this.

I can understand why he has found himself so quickly on the periphery, due to the fact we seem to have many vying for a half forward position and hoping to add another key position player to Watts and Jurrah, it starts to limit Bate's role and requirement as that hit up, lead up forward.

A better pre-season and he will be given every opportunity, if he struggles he would find himself a bit on edge. It could be argued that this is the reason to shop his currency around now. I believe he is of better value than that just now.

I'm neither here nor there with Bate. But he seems to me to be a player that was given so much opportunity in a bad side a few years ago, as there was no other option ,ie Watts,Pettard,Sylvia(not yet at his peak). He did a few good things and wasn't completly awful.Now that we have young quality developing it will quickly start to stand out just how limited he is. But having him stay on for a few more years will be good depth for us as time goes on. My biggest concern was him getting in the way of developing youngsters, but I think thats just my hang up from the Daniher love child years.

Fitness is important for Bate and he's a momentum/ confidence player.

Still has a lot of value in the forward line.

It's getting crowded in there though, so a good player is always going to get squeezed out if there are no injuries.

Like what's happening at the Pies, this is what we want.

Now that's a good post.

I like the word momentum with him. I also reckon he could be like Cloke. Not in terms of how he plays but in terms of career trajectory.

Our forward line still has spots up for grabs. Bate's career does hang on his next two seasons of football. If he can establish himself as a key player then he will most certainly be a part of the puzzle. If not, well you know how it goes.

Still has a question mark over him, but sure does have talent to burn and can be a great target up forward when he is up and running.

He has always been hot or cold but his weaknesses started to find out as players with more rounded games got time ahead of him. Struggled to get a game and will struggle moreso next year unless he consistently plays at his best.

Bater has some critical limitations that we all know about, and which he needs to address, if he is to be a serious part of our future. Dunn has now overtaken him (at least temporarily)in the pecking order, and the ball is squarely in Bater's court to improve deficiencies his game, in much the same way that Dunny seems to have done.

The biggest issue I see with Bate is his awkwardness. He is quite an effective kick, however with such an awkward action I see little room for improvement. Not only his kicking, he just has an awkward way of moving (always seems hunched and bent up) and going for marks it's as if he can't fully straighten his arms.

Fitness is important for Bate and he's a momentum/ confidence player.

Still has a lot of value in the forward line.

It's getting crowded in there though, so a good player is always going to get squeezed out if there are no injuries.

Like what's happening at the Pies, this is what we want.

This is nearly the most sensible post you have ever made.We need him to become fitter though next year.

This is nearly the most sensible post you have ever made.We need him to become fitter though next year.

Cheers Jack.

Agreeing with me is the most sensible move for you too.

Bater has some critical limitations that we all know about, and which he needs to address, if he is to be a serious part of our future. Dunn has now overtaken him (at least temporarily)in the pecking order, and the ball is squarely in Bater's court to improve deficiencies his game, in much the same way that Dunny seems to have done.

I like your portrayal of the key element here, that being its all there for the doing. Dunn has stepped up to the plate and is realy making a fist of it. Even if Bates major problem is fitness it waits to be seen if 1) its able to be overcome or simple to be a relentless niggle and 2) what else if left to come from him in terms of betterig his game. Its far from complete. He has a couple of tricks in his bag but the new standard at Melbourne is you will need to be a lot better than that. I defer to the nature of the his new contract' inference that the club obviously sees something. I still wager 2011 is make or break..too many knocking on that door to push him aside.Isay this as Bate has yetto hold down any real position and they are going fast.