INDIGENE - THE SERIES

[e25 5]

Thanks.

I stand corrected.

How could that not have taken mark of the year?

Abraham's effort coming in from the side was a very good mark, but should have just not been good enough to beat Farmer's effort.

Everything came together perfectly for Farmer and he launched 10 feet in the air.

[45HG 1,559]

Wonderful series Jack, am enjoying each read (as usual!)

[She Devil 64 21]

Thanks W.J. A great read as always. I will always have a soft spot for the Wizard.

[IvanBartul13 2,564]

Good Stuff, WJ, think its also worth noting how close or rather the opportunity Melbourne had to secure David Wirrpanda as well during the Fremantle concession era. Had Darren Kowal been let go to the Dockers, Wirrpanda would have been a Demon.

[Demonland 73,504]

INDIGINE - PART SEVEN by Whispering Jack

For the greater part of his life, former Carlton and South Adelaide rover Mark Naley believed he was a descendant of Afghan immigrants who first arrived in Australia during the 1860s.

This first wave of Afghani migration were mainly cameleers who entered Australia with travelling papers obtained while working in British India. Most worked in areas of transportation including exploration, mining and supply but with the introduction of motor vehicles in the early 20th century, the cameleers became redundant. Some returned home while others became small property owners and gained respectable places in society.

Such was the shame of being a person of aboriginal heritage or of mixed blood in the community of the time that many who had dark skins preferred to claim an alternate identity and in the southern parts of Australia where Charles Gordon Naley was born to a white station manager and a woman from the Mirning people, it was safe and convenient to assume such a fiction.

When Mark Naley became curious and researched his family tree, he discovered his indigenous heritage. Charles Naley, his paternal grandfather who he never met, was not the son of Afghan immigrants but rather, he was an Aborigine.

Mark Naley did know that his grandfather was an ANZAC at Gallipoli along with 60,000 Diggers and 18,000 Kiwis where he was wounded in action. He later fought at Bullecourt, France where he was hit by shrapnel, captured by the Germans and became a prisoner of war. He returned to South Australia with the wife he married in England and they raised five children before he died at the young age of 41 from respiratory complications that resulted from being gassed while in France.

Grandson Mark, who was a member of Carlton's 1987 premiership team and won the 1991 Magarey Medal in the SANFL while at South Adelaide, now proudly enters the record books as one of more than two hundred indigenous people to have graced the playing fields among the elite in the competition.

Today, pride has replaced shame.

Read his story in full in Football Legend Mark Naley's Anzac Surprise

TO BE CONTINUED

This series is written in honour of the late Matthew Wonaeamirri, father of current Melbourne player Austin. Our hearts go out to all of the family.

[Luck Lucy 0]

Nice story WJ and a wonderful message.

[Demonland 73,504]

INDIGINE - PART EIGHT by Whispering Jack

At 9:30am on 13 February 2008, Australia's Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd presented an apology in Parliament  to  Australia's Indigenous people which began as follows:

"Today we honour the Indigenous peoples of this land, the oldest continuing cultures in human history.

We reflect on their past mistreatment.

We reflect in particular on the mistreatment of those who were Stolen Generations – this blemished chapter in our nation's history.

The time has now come for the nation to turn a new page in Australia's history by righting the wrongs of the past and so moving forward with confidence to the future."

It was a long time coming and reflected the refreshing movement in the mood of the country towards reconciliation and to heal some of the deep wounds embedded in its history.

The lead had been taken in the sporting field decades before with Australia embracing heroes like Lionel Rose,  Evonne Goolagong, Cathy Freeman and a host of footballers. By the time that Rudd spoke in Canberra, indigenous players made up in excess of ten per cent of AFL lists. Today, at the Melbourne Football Club, six out of forty-six Demons are Aboriginal.

Six others have represented the club in this century. Jeff Farmer and Scott Chisholm whose time at the club straddled the last century and have already been covered in this series. Matthew Whelan was the first Indigenous player to join the club in the new century.

Whelan's Indigenous Australian heritage can be traced to the Ngalakan language speaking peoples of the Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory. He grew up in Darwin playing rugby league until he converted to Australian football at the age of 15. 

In his late teens he would play the summer season for the Darwin Buffaloes in the NTFL and in winter for Woodville-West Torrens in  the SANFL where he came under notice of recruiting scouts leading to his drafting at age 20 in the 1999 national draft with the Demons' pick number 50 which proved to be a bargain selection.

Whelan was a hard nosed reliable 180 cm tall (80kg) defender/back pocket who wore the number 45 throughout his career. He made his AFL debut against St. Kilda in round four of season 2000 and played every game until round 20 when an injured neck cost him his place and he missed the finals series which included Melbourne's last grand final appearance in 2000 against Essendon.

Known as "Wheels", the youngster soon developed a reputation for tough uncompromising football but he was also a skillful player who sometimes went into the midfield.

His strong tackling style sometimes came under scrutiny and, during his career, he was involved in his share of incidents.

In 2003 he was reported  for rough play against Hawthorn's Shane Crawford for a tackle described as similar to the now outlawed rugby spear tackle but the tribunal threw the charge out. The following year saw him shirtfront James Hird in the 2004 Elimination Final in a legitimate bump that rendered the Bomber skipper unconscious. He gathered the ball and fed it off to Travis Johnstone who goaled. Many observers considered the incident, which occurred just before half time, as the matchwinning passage of play.

During the final quarter of Melbourne's round 10 game against Richmond at the Docklands, Wheels came from nowhere to smother a Nathan Brown kick but he landed awkwardly shattering Brown's right foot. Brown was put out for the season and never fully recovered while Whelan seemed a subdued player for a long time although the incident was an accident.

A clash of heads with St. Kilda's Luke Ball led to  Whelan being charged for rough play but the charge was later dropped as the high contact was ruled as an accidental clash of heads. In 2008, he accepted a one week suspension for striking Carlton's Brendon Fevola.

Despite his hardness, Whelan was a clever ball player who had few blemishes in his play. 

Unfortunately, his career was marred by injury. He played every game in 2002 but was forced out in round 22 with a calf injury missing his second opportunity for a finals series. He was injured during the 2006 finals and played few games in the following season due to injury. Late in his career, calf and hamstring injuries curtailed his playing days and, in August 2009 Wheels announced his retirement playing his farewell game in Round 22 against premiership favourites St. Kilda.

In his final years he played a mentoring role for the growing list of young Indigenous footballers at the Melbourne Football Club and he will forever be fondly remembered by the Demon family for his 150 games (15 goals), his unrelenting courage and his strong  play.

He was awarded life membership at the club's annual general meeting in February 2010.

Shannon Motlop played 54 AFL games for North Melbourne and, in just his seventh AFL game with the Kangaroos, he played in the victorious 1999 Grand Final against Carlton. His career there petered out and he was playing in the SANFL with North Adelaide when the call came in 2005 from the Melbourne Football Club for him to replace Troy Broadbridge who had perished in the Boxing Day tsunami. He failed to establish himself  in the team, playing just ten times for five goals before being delisted at the end of 2006 returning to North Adelaide. During his time at the club Motlop played in successive VFL  premierships with the club's then alignment partner Sandringham.

Byron Pickett, a teammate of Motlop in the 1990 North Melbourne premiership, was a highly decorated Indigenous footballer who was selected in the Indigenous Team of the Century and also played in Port Adelaide's first premiership. At only 178 cm and 86 kg, Pickett was tough and solidly built and developed a reputation for his aggression.  During his initial season at Melbourne in 2006 his presence was invaluable and many of his teammates walked tall to become the leading Victorian team in the competition, then dominated by interstate clubs. Late in the season he suffered successive hamstring injuries which sidelined him for several games and his career went into decline. Unable to regain full fitness, his 

2007 season was shrouded in controversy. He was suspended for failing to turn up for a game. With concerns surrounding his weight and work ethic and questions about alcohol, his retirement after 29 goals and 16 games at the end of 2007 was inevitable.

Isaac Weetra was drafted by Melbourne as a 17 year old from Port Adelaide Magpies at selection number 62 in the 2006 AFL Draft. Earlier that year, he represented Australia's indigenous youth on tour to South Africa with the "Flying Boomerangs" to play against South Africa's Buffaloes. He struggled with injury and confidence in his first season at the club but made his debut in Melbourne's opening game of the 2008 season. Weetra debuted against Hawthorn at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. He failed to make an impact, was dropped after his second game against the Western Bulldogs and delisted at the end of the season.

I met Isaac when he was playing in his first season with Sandringham. The son of a university lecturer came across as a highly intelligent  and articulate young man. These days, he says his real work passion is “changing things for the better," and whilst he loves his football, his career ambition is now focused on his work in employment and training.

Isaac Weetra's dream of making it as a professional footballer might not have been fulfilled but he will one day be a leader of a community of people who can look forward to a better future in better times.

TO BE CONTINUED

This series is written in honour of the late Matthew Wonaeamirri, father of current Melbourne player Austin. Our hearts go out to all of the family.

[Whispering_Jack 31,173]

Not sure if anyone remembers Matthew Whelan's debut game in 2000 but I always regarded it a bit of a watershed in the history of the two clubs. Melbourne surprisingly thrashed St. Kilda by a whopping margin and the Saints went downhill finishing last and picking up some handy draft picks. Wheels was terrific on debut and became an instant favourite of mine. Melbourne went on to gain a place in the grand final and had a good period making the finals most years until its own slide started in 2007. Our last finals victory was in the 2006 elimination final against them and I think Wheels was injured in that game. The opening game of 2007 really marked the start of our recent decline and we had that incident between Whelan and Ball and Brock McLean sustained an injury that was IMO the beginning of the end for him at Melbourne.

Ironically, we play the Saints today in the Indigenous Round and while they are on the decline, we can make it official.

I also hope Michael Evans can have as good a debut game as Matty Whelan had in 2000 and that we achieve the same result.

[Apocalypse XXXI 243]

Oh, Matty Whelan. If only we had someone with his courage and toughness today!

[stueyspencer no12 73]

INDIGINE - PART EIGHT by Whispering Jack

At 9:30am on 13 February 2008, Australia's Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd presented an apology in Parliament  to  Australia's Indigenous people which began as follows:

"Today we honour the Indigenous peoples of this land, the oldest continuing cultures in human history.

We reflect on their past mistreatment.

We reflect in particular on the mistreatment of those who were Stolen Generations – this blemished chapter in our nation's history.

The time has now come for the nation to turn a new page in Australia's history by righting the wrongs of the past and so moving forward with confidence to the future."

It was a long time coming and reflected the refreshing movement in the mood of the country towards reconciliation and to heal some of the deep wounds embedded in its history.

The lead had been taken in the sporting field decades before with Australia embracing heroes like Lionel Rose,  Evonne Goolagong, Cathy Freeman and a host of footballers. By the time that Rudd spoke in Canberra, indigenous players made up in excess of ten per cent of AFL lists. Today, at the Melbourne Football Club, six out of forty-six Demons are Aboriginal.

Six others have represented the club in this century. Jeff Farmer and Scott Chisholm whose time at the club straddled the last century and have already been covered in this series. Matthew Whelan was the first Indigenous player to join the club in the new century.

Whelan's Indigenous Australian heritage can be traced to the Ngalakan language speaking peoples of the Arnhem Land in the Northern Territory. He grew up in Darwin playing rugby league until he converted to Australian football at the age of 15. 

In his late teens he would play the summer season for the Darwin Buffaloes in the NTFL and in winter for Woodville-West Torrens in  the SANFL where he came under notice of recruiting scouts leading to his drafting at age 20 in the 1999 national draft with the Demons' pick number 50 which proved to be a bargain selection.

Whelan was a hard nosed reliable 180 cm tall (80kg) defender/back pocket who wore the number 45 throughout his career. He made his AFL debut against St. Kilda in round four of season 2000 and played every game until round 20 when an injured neck cost him his place and he missed the finals series which included Melbourne's last grand final appearance in 2000 against Essendon.

Known as "Wheels", the youngster soon developed a reputation for tough uncompromising football but he was also a skillful player who sometimes went into the midfield.

His strong tackling style sometimes came under scrutiny and, during his career, he was involved in his share of incidents.

In 2003 he was reported  for rough play against Hawthorn's Shane Crawford for a tackle described as similar to the now outlawed rugby spear tackle but the tribunal threw the charge out. The following year saw him shirtfront James Hird in the 2004 Elimination Final in a legitimate bump that rendered the Bomber skipper unconscious. He gathered the ball and fed it off to Travis Johnstone who goaled. Many observers considered the incident, which occurred just before half time, as the matchwinning passage of play.

During the final quarter of Melbourne's round 10 game against Richmond at the Docklands, Wheels came from nowhere to smother a Nathan Brown kick but he landed awkwardly shattering Brown's right foot. Brown was put out for the season and never fully recovered while Whelan seemed a subdued player for a long time although the incident was an accident.

A clash of heads with St. Kilda's Luke Ball led to  Whelan being charged for rough play but the charge was later dropped as the high contact was ruled as an accidental clash of heads. In 2008, he accepted a one week suspension for striking Carlton's Brendon Fevola.

Despite his hardness, Whelan was a clever ball player who had few blemishes in his play. 

Unfortunately, his career was marred by injury. He played every game in 2002 but was forced out in round 22 with a calf injury missing his second opportunity for a finals series. He was injured during the 2006 finals and played few games in the following season due to injury. Late in his career, calf and hamstring injuries curtailed his playing days and, in August 2009 Wheels announced his retirement playing his farewell game in Round 22 against premiership favourites St. Kilda.

In his final years he played a mentoring role for the growing list of young Indigenous footballers at the Melbourne Football Club and he will forever be fondly remembered by the Demon family for his 150 games (15 goals), his unrelenting courage and his strong  play.

He was awarded life membership at the club's annual general meeting in February 2010.

Shannon Motlop played 54 AFL games for North Melbourne and, in just his seventh AFL game with the Kangaroos, he played in the victorious 1999 Grand Final against Carlton. His career there petered out and he was playing in the SANFL with North Adelaide when the call came in 2005 from the Melbourne Football Club for him to replace Troy Broadbridge who had perished in the Boxing Day tsunami. He failed to establish himself  in the team, playing just ten times for five goals before being delisted at the end of 2006 returning to North Adelaide. During his time at the club Motlop played in successive VFL  premierships with the club's then alignment partner Sandringham.

Byron Pickett, a teammate of Motlop in the 1990 North Melbourne premiership, was a highly decorated Indigenous footballer who was selected in the Indigenous Team of the Century and also played in Port Adelaide's first premiership. At only 178 cm and 86 kg, Pickett was tough and solidly built and developed a reputation for his aggression.  During his initial season at Melbourne in 2006 his presence was invaluable and many of his teammates walked tall to become the leading Victorian team in the competition, then dominated by interstate clubs. Late in the season he suffered successive hamstring injuries which sidelined him for several games and his career went into decline. Unable to regain full fitness, his 

2007 season was shrouded in controversy. He was suspended for failing to turn up for a game. With concerns surrounding his weight and work ethic and questions about alcohol, his retirement after 29 goals and 16 games at the end of 2007 was inevitable.

Isaac Weetra was drafted by Melbourne as a 17 year old from Port Adelaide Magpies at selection number 62 in the 2006 AFL Draft. Earlier that year, he represented Australia's indigenous youth on tour to South Africa with the "Flying Boomerangs" to play against South Africa's Buffaloes. He struggled with injury and confidence in his first season at the club but made his debut in Melbourne's opening game of the 2008 season. Weetra debuted against Hawthorn at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. He failed to make an impact, was dropped after his second game against the Western Bulldogs and delisted at the end of the season.

I met Isaac when he was playing in his first season with Sandringham. The son of a university lecturer came across as a highly intelligent  and articulate young man. These days, he says his real work passion is “changing things for the better," and whilst he loves his football, his career ambition is now focused on his work in employment and training.

Isaac Weetra's dream of making it as a professional footballer might not have been fulfilled but he will one day be a leader of a community of people who can look forward to a better future in better times.

TO BE CONTINUED

This series is written in honour of the late Matthew Wonaeamirri, father of current Melbourne player Austin. Our hearts go out to all of the family.

I like this a lot. Well done mate.

[einstein251 61]

I like this a lot. Well done mate.

Me too but I wonder why articles such as these are not widely read by Demonlanders.

[Striker475 696]

Me too but I wonder why articles such as these are not widely read by Demonlanders.

I've read every one, they're great insightful pieces and a great tribute to the club, the players and (in the Indigene series' case) the indigenous links that the club has worked so hard to build.

[H_T 3,049]

Well written WJ, have enjoyed every part. Remember Whelan's debut very well. 11 years ago, how time flys by.

[Whispering_Jack 31,173]

INDIGINE - PART NINE by Whispering Jack

"Well it seems like the sun comes up each mornin'

Sets me up and takes it all away

For the dreaming by the light 

Of the camp fire at night

Ends with the burning light of day".

- Hugh McDonald (Diamantina Drover)

Like many of Melbourne players, Aaron Davey's 2011 was not his best season with the club. He languished with lack of form, an injury that ultimately cost him many games and he laboured on his return, physically incapable of performing at his best. In the end, the frustrations spilled over and he earned a suspension for an indiscretion in a late season game against Richmond. Davey was clearly in need of some rest followed by the hard work of a pre season to get him back into the shape required to enable him to continue with his leadership role and as a mentor to the indigenous players within his club.

The 177cm 74kg Davey burst onto the AFL scene in 2004 after some sensational pre-season Wizard Cup games as an exciting young rookie with immense pace and silky kicking skills and finished the year as runner-up to team mate Jared Rivers for the year's AFL Rising Star and winner of the AFLPA Best First Year Player award.

Selected in the previous year's rookie draft, Davey  was elevated in time for the first game of the 2004 season to become a cult figure at the Melbourne Football Club. His blistering acceleration, evasive footwork and goal sense were outstanding as was his ability to effortlessly run down and tackle opponents in the space of a few strides. The youngster's stellar debut season was interrupted by a hamstring injury in round 16 against the Western Bulldogs at the Telstra Dome but he managed to return for the club's brief finals campaign.

The career of the man they called "Flash" flourished in the following years. He played every game of 2005 including a final, finished third in the club best and fairest behind Travis Johnstone and Russell Robertson and was included in the International Rules squad under Kevin Sheedy. Davey won the AFL Players Association Marn Grook Award for Best Emerging Indigenous Player.

The arrival of Byron Pickett in 2006 and some added bulk had a positive effect on Davey. He became a versatile player and coach Neale Daniher  used him more in the midfield and even in defence. He still ventured forward and earned three goal of the week nominations with his uncanny knack of kicking seemingly impossible goals.

It was a much more mature and confident Davey who turned out for the Indigenous All-Stars in a 2007 pre-season game against Essendon, where he re-injured his hamstring but he was back to his best form early in the season, starred against the Western Bulldogs, collecting 29 disposals and kicking three goals, in Round 7. However, his increasing aggression saw him suspended for two games for striking at The Gabba in round 15 but by this time, the wheels had fallen off the Demons' season and Daniher was gone. 

Davey's first season under Dean Bailey in 2008 was hampered by injuries. The team slumped to rock bottom.

He grew in stature in 2009 as he resurrected himself as a player. He starred for the Indigenous All-Stars against Adelaide in the pre-season game and started the year strongly in the midfield with more stints as a defender who could run through lines and deliver the ball with impeccable accuracy.  Despite the club's continuing poor performances, Davey was a shining light and he won the Keith "Bluey" Truscott Medal for the club's Best and Fairest player.

Now, a leader of the club, Davey's form was instrumental in its improvement during 2010. He finished fourth in the Best and Fairest and was equal leading vote-getter, with Colin Sylvia in the Brownlow Medal voting.

Davey's tribal ancestry can be traced to the Kokatha in South Australia. Davey was born on 10 June, 1983. His father Alwyn passed away  when he was nine years old and he has often praised his mother Lizzie who raised him and his brother Essendon's Alwyn Junior in Darwin. 

He came under notice as a forward pocket  for the Palmerston Football Club and moved to Melbourne to play for VFL side Port Melbourne Football where he was awarded the Fothergill-Round Medal for the competition's most promising youngster.

He has been an impressive ambassador for his people and has been active in promoting sport, health and education among indigenous communities.

The Flash certainly experienced a down year in 2011 but he has shown resilience and the ability to recover in the past. As sure as he recovered from the disappointment of injury in 2008 to win the Bluey in 2009, the Demon community looks forward to a fresh and revitalised Davey turning things around in  2012 as the burning light comes of a brand new day for the Demons.

TO BE CONTINUED

This series is written in honour of the late Matthew Wonaeamirri, father of current Melbourne player Austin. Our hearts go out to all of the family.

[Rolling Stone 160]

Judging by the lack of comments, it seems that there's not much love here for Flash Davey. The bloke has one poor season and it seems that it's all over. Give him a break!

[Anthony17 3]

I'll declare my hand early by saying I’m an unabashed fan of Aaron Davey.

I’m only an occasional visitor to Demonland (longtime lurker, first-time poster as they’d say on the radio), and I generally enjoy the passion of the site and the wit and insight of many of the posters. However, I was disappointed to return recently and see Aaron Davey’s image removed from the banner above, yet unsurprised given the steady knock on him here and elsewhere through the year.

It was especially sad to see echoed here through the year the character assassination handed out to Davey by Luke Darcy on one Channel 10 broadcast (and from what I saw, Luke Darcy, aside from being a not very illuminating broadcaster with a terrible haircut, was as a footballer little more than a glorified netballer, just a long streak of mediocrity like Harley and Maxwell behind him). Now he uses the microphone as a bully pulpit, and a half-lame Aaron Davey was a very soft target. All that BS about body language and effort, pointing to a single, misjudged contest. Anybody who genuinely thinks or actually said Aaron Davey wasn’t trying in that match or in this season is a poor judge of both football and character or at best is relying on lazy truisms and generalisations.

As a bit of backstory, my family and I only moved to Victoria from Sydney 8 or 9 years ago. At the time, like I think the vast majority of people in NSW (certainly then and probably now), I don’t think we had ever watched an entire game of AFL/VFL, though I had played a few seasons of ‘Aussie Rules’ as a kid. People in Melbourne couldn’t believe I had never heard of James Hird, much less David Neitz and Russell Robertson.

Fortunately for me, I had old school friends who were working for MFC at the time, and over the next few years we attended plenty of home games and even spent some time with the team in the rooms after matches. It was 2004-2006 and the way Aaron Davey played football was a revelation. He was a lovely unassuming kid to boot. It wasn't long before my family and I were addicted to the Dees and to the AFL in general, and the game now happily rules our winter months.

Like everyone here, we've enjoyed relatively few only-relative highs and endured more than a few lows watching the Demons over the past half-dozen seasons. But in that time nobody has brought us more pleasure than Flash.

The running bounces, the closing speed, the scything passes from half-back (one from a couple of seasons ago Gerard Healy declared kick of the year on ‘On The Couch’), the fingertip control, his two best-on-ground, three-Brownlow-vote performances in the matches against the eventual premiers only last year, the many goal of the year nominations, including the preposterous volleyed effort from a few years ago, and the ground he covers - and the pace at which and the grace with which he covers it - all game, every game to make contests, to apply actual pressure, to win or receive the ball and to help-out teammates.

Before this year, I saw Aaron Davey described by a good judge as perhaps the only player to have ‘invented’ two roles that have since become standards: early in his career he was the prototype defensive small forward; and later the attacking small quarterback – the latter role reprised and perfected this year by Davis at Collingwood and Yarran at Carlton. More recently, I saw Mike Sheahan describe him as a pre-Cyril Rioli Cyril Rioli (high praise indeed).

I think there’s a tendency among some of the crankier sections of the commentariat and fanbase to overlook or underplay the importance of the obviously gifted players in favour of overstating the impact of the honest toilers, people they can more readily identify with: the James McDonald-type busting a gut for ‘his club’; Nick Maxwell, in the GD bib, doing all the one-percenters and precious few of the ninety-nine-percenters, making all the difference with his ‘perceived' or 'referred' pressure; or the death or glory of a Mitch Robinson, the poor man’s Jonathon Brown, with no respect for his own safety or anyone else’s.

I respect the bull-at-a-gate endeavour of players like Moloney, but you can see the same in the Rugby codes, especially in the teams being thumped by better teams. Heedless, head-down barging at stoppages is not what sets the AFL apart. It’s not what makes the game a great spectacle. It’s also not what wins big games or premierships. In the same way Robinson tends to win more ball and have his best games only in Carlton’s worst results, Melbourne is unlikely to win a flag while Moloney remains the team’s ‘best’ player. You need your best players to be better than that. I know I’m being unfair to Moloney, who has an important role to play and whose clearances, at least when he puts boot to ball, put him up there with Nathan Jones ;-0. (In any case, the set piece stoppages and clearances will become steadily less of a factor as the AFL looks for ways to keep the quarters shorter, the ball moving and the players out of the hands of the trainers.)

If Melbourne is to contend next year, the team doesn’t need the effort of Brent Moloney as much as it needs the skills of Aaron Davey. We all know he’s had a lean season by his standards. But he had a difficult and interrupted year in 2008 and came back to win the B&F the very next year.

Mark Neeld is talking tough, as perhaps he needs to, but I hope when he talks about making Melbourne the hardest team to play he’s also thinking about the part he played in the way Dale Thomas and Leon Davis play their football. It’s especially hard to play against somebody who’s too good for you.

I hope Aaron Davey isn’t too good for Mark Neeld, and I hope Mark Neeld can give Aaron Davey the confidence to again be too good to leave off the Demonland banner.

[Cheesy D. Pun 1,765]

Regarding Davey, I agree. He's a good player who has had a bad season. He'll be back.

[Juicebox 629]

I think the criticism on this site has been so harsh because he is such an important player. When he is on song he is arguably our most important player and this year was a stinker for him.

[daisycutter 29,892]

Nice piece anthony.

I think most here would love to see Aaron back to his exciting skilled best....I know I would

I think part of the angst shown to Aaron this year is as much a frustration of the whole year, the whole team and the lack of contribution from many senior players

[Gippy Dee 48]

I personally don't think anyone can dispute what role Aaron Davey has had in the AFL and within the MFC during his career. That's forgiven.

But lets be honest here. We all have our opinions and voice them here via this great forum. One of them that has re-occured this year is the focus on Davey's performance and whether he is 'in the game' and his head is where it needs to be.

I too love Davey and think he's been a great contributor, but....

Without the so called Rose tainted glasses on he has had a shocking 2011 that not only I and I dare say he wishes to forget.

The question is safely now how he bounces back. This will be his true test of character!

Looking forward to 2012!

Go dees!

Gippy

[jumbo returns 6,741]

Agree - nice piece, beautifully written.

I think that Davey still needs to be 'coached'. He struggles to break a heavy tag and all the other clubs have been alerted to this.

Neeld will hopefully have a plan that will have him protected (by a Moloney type) or a set play that will see him run into space. I know it's easy to write all this, much harder to execute.

Having said that, AFL footy is all about structure and discipline. At the end of the day, the team needs the ball in Davey's hands. I hope he can get his body right.

[Robbie57 2,026]

Hear hear. Nice to see a positive piece.

I have Davey's number on my back and I really hope he comes back fighting fit next year.

[timD 994]

Anthony, I hope you are right. I thought Davey's year was awful. His body language did suck. His effort came and went. All sorts of stuff can be going on that the average supporter cannot and need not know...so what we see is all we have to make decisions on. Much like Brad Green, Davey had a year that fell way way way below standards that he (and us) set. No-one hopes he is finished, and everyone would hope that he has a better year next year.

[rpfc 28,919]

Mark Neeld is talking tough, as perhaps he needs to, but I hope when he talks about making Melbourne the hardest team to play he’s also thinking about the part he played in the way Dale Thomas and Leon Davis play their football. It’s especially hard to play against somebody who’s too good for you.

I hope Aaron Davey isn’t too good for Mark Neeld, and I hope Mark Neeld can give Aaron Davey the confidence to again be too good to leave off the Demonland banner.

Great sentiments.

Just on the bit I have quoted - Aaron Davey shouldn't feel threatened by the desire for hardness.

It would be an indictment on any player to feel that way.

He can work on a few areas and be back to his best but he has to run defensively, tackle hard, get to more contests, withstand the contests, and push himself to be a more positive influence.

If he does that he will be back to his best and be 'hard' enough to keep his spot.

[Maldonboy38 6,406]

Great piece, well written if a little loaded.

We all love the skill of our game and those who excel at it. Davey at his best is breath-taking. But he had a horror 2011 and has shown he crumbles under a tag. Fortunatley he has demonstrated already that he is coachable, having changed his role a few times and actually inventing two of them. He will rise again. But if he is not able to play with that skill we must select someone who can.

Disagree about your insights into Moloney and the type of players who win grand finals. Look at the list of Norm Smith medalists:

2010 Lenny Hayes

2009 Paul Chapman

2008 Luke Hodge

2007 Steve Johnson

2006 Andrew Embley

2005 Chris Judd

2004 Byron Pickett

2003 Simon Black

2002 Nathan Buckley

2001 Shaun Hart

2000 James Hird

There is a solid mix of gifted players, hard mongrels, and grunters in that list.

We need 20 of our starting 22 firing most weeks to win a flag, not just the skillful boys.