Among all the gloom of injuries, game plans (??), lack of mongrel etc., it's rewarding to notice some MFC players whose form this year has shone out above their peers in the team, or above their previous form. Maybe I'm trying to do some self therapy because everything else this year has gone to [censored]. For me, in no particular order, it's:

• Tappy - love his long and accurate passing, and his toughness. A great example to his more experienced team mates.
  
• Russian - has learned to jump early in the ruck, make the centre circle his and palm off to Moloney & co.
  
• Beamer - has been much more controlled when running out of the centre with the ball, deliberately pulling up on kicking for distance in favour of making his passes count.
  
• Jonesy - love his hardness and fight. Is shining this year. Have never understood why many on here have put him down. Foot passing has generally been good this year.
  
• Watts - at last - has begun showing some hardness, beginning with the Eagles game.
  
• Trenners - developing in stature in our midfield
  
• Maric - I know he's not the favourite of many here, but I was pleasantly surprised in the earlier games at his confidence and goal hunger.
  
• The Gys - for such a slightly built guy, he has really got in amongst it in his few games. Very very quick hands. Looks to have a lot more upside as he matures.
  

Who have you liked this year?

Among all the gloom of injuries, game plans (??), lack of mongrel etc., it's rewarding to notice some MFC players whose form this year has shone out above their peers in the team, or above their previous form. Maybe I'm trying to do some self therapy because everything else this year has gone to [censored]. For me, in no particular order, it's:

• Tappy - love his long and accurate passing, and his toughness. A great example to his more experienced team mates.
  
• Russian - has learned to jump early in the ruck, make the centre circle his and palm off to Moloney & co.
  
• Beamer - has been much more controlled when running out of the centre with the ball, deliberately pulling up on kicking for distance in favour of making his passes count.
  
• Jonesy - love his hardness and fight. Is shining this year. Have never understood why many on here have put him down. Foot passing has generally been good this year.
  
• Watts - at last - has begun showing some hardness, beginning with the Eagles game.
  
• Trenners - developing in stature in our midfield
  
• Maric - I know he's not the favourite of many here, but I was pleasantly surprised in the earlier games at his confidence and goal hunger.
  
• The Gys - for such a slightly built guy, he has really got in amongst it in his few games. Very very quick hands. Looks to have a lot more upside as he matures.
  

Who have you liked this year?

Jonesy definitely, dont know why you left out big Stef though, massive improver. Also Evans from what little I have seen.

Jonesy definitely, dont know why you left out big Stef though, massive improver. Also Evans from what little I have seen.

D'oh! Agree re Stef.

I agree with all of these also who I am excited to see more of was the Sub last night Danny Nicholson. I would love to see him get more time as he came on and got into the thick of its straight away. Did not get daunted or hang off and put his head over the ball. Its amazing what happens when you are fighting to get on to a team, how much more effort and hunger you have.

Among all the gloom of injuries, game plans (??), lack of mongrel etc., it's rewarding to notice some MFC players whose form this year has shone out above their peers in the team, or above their previous form. Maybe I'm trying to do some self therapy because everything else this year has gone to [censored]. For me, in no particular order, it's:

• Tappy - love his long and accurate passing, and his toughness. A great example to his more experienced team mates.
  
• Russian - has learned to jump early in the ruck, make the centre circle his and palm off to Moloney & co.
  
• Beamer - has been much more controlled when running out of the centre with the ball, deliberately pulling up on kicking for distance in favour of making his passes count.
  
• Jonesy - love his hardness and fight. Is shining this year. Have never understood why many on here have put him down. Foot passing has generally been good this year.
  
• Watts - at last - has begun showing some hardness, beginning with the Eagles game.
  
• Trenners - developing in stature in our midfield
  
• Maric - I know he's not the favourite of many here, but I was pleasantly surprised in the earlier games at his confidence and goal hunger.
  
• The Gys - for such a slightly built guy, he has really got in amongst it in his few games. Very very quick hands. Looks to have a lot more upside as he matures.
  

Who have you liked this year?

Good thread. The positives this year have been all about the progress of individuals.

We've just been no good as a team. But we WILL get better as a team one day, and when we do, we'll have a much better group of cattle to do it with.

this thread is all kinds of wrong.

demonland is NOT allowed to be positive!!!

ps stef martin and jack watts for mine the two biggest improvers. maric not far behind

- Watts. Bloody hell he's barely the same player.

- Stef Martin. He's become superb and an integral part of the side, can't wait til the Rush is back.

- Bull. Can we clone him?

- Gysberts. Getting better and better, hard to believe he's only played like 12 games

It's funny how one of the huge crippling negatives in having Jamar injured has led to such a big positive. Martin has thrived on the added pressure and responsibility and his ruck work is improving as we watch. Huge bonus.

Jack Watts seems to have figured out that he is bigger and faster than most of the guys on the field. He's not so shy of contact any more and he's using his pace better. Still needs work, but he's another one who's showing signs.

Tapscott is every bit as good as we were told by those who had seen him play as a junior. His defensive work was suspect to begin with, but he improved rapidly. Kicking is as good as any in the side.

Maric is one I had written off. To see him come into the side this year with more speed, more fitness and a better workrate is great. He's turning into a very nice forward pocket who can push into the midfield and have an impact.

Those are the big four for me so far. I'm really hoping to be able to add Gawn and Howe in the next few weeks.

this thread is all kinds of wrong.

demonland is NOT allowed to be positive!!!

ps stef martin and jack watts for mine the two biggest improvers. maric not far behind

Tapscott.

I think that Gawn's development, even though he hasn't played an AFL game yet, has been a major positive. I expected a year of development at Casey as he treid to get some continuity of play and experience at VFL level. For him to be talked about as possibly debuting after comprehensively beating a good AFL ruckman in Ben Hudson is a massive positive.

Bail's improvement has also been really good. His running ability is fantastic. Evans has also showed that he is a really good gut runner and has good pace. A real bonus off the rookie list.

I think that Gawn's development, even though he hasn't played an AFL game yet, has been a major positive. I expected a year of development at Casey as he treid to get some continuity of play and experience at VFL level. For him to be talked about as possibly debuting after comprehensively beating a good AFL ruckman in Ben Hudson is a massive positive.

Bail's improvement has also been really good. His running ability is fantastic. Evans has also showed that he is a really good gut runner and has good pace. A real bonus off the rookie list.

Hell yeah. Forgot Bail. His run,,, & his ability to go inside @ the Bounce was a surprise

It's funny how one of the huge crippling negatives in having Jamar injured has led to such a big positive. Martin has thrived on the added pressure and responsibility and his ruck work is improving as we watch. Huge bonus.

Jack Watts seems to have figured out that he is bigger and faster than most of the guys on the field. He's not so shy of contact any more and he's using his pace better. Still needs work, but he's another one who's showing signs.

Tapscott is every bit as good as we were told by those who had seen him play as a junior. His defensive work was suspect to begin with, but he improved rapidly. Kicking is as good as any in the side.

Maric is one I had written off. To see him come into the side this year with more speed, more fitness and a better workrate is great. He's turning into a very nice forward pocket who can push into the midfield and have an impact.

Those are the big four for me so far. I'm really hoping to be able to add Gawn and Howe in the next few weeks.

+1. I also hold out hope of seeing good signs from Blease and Strauss. I think Strauss could be a really damaging player for us if he gets a bit of confidence. And people forget he has had a fairly bad run with injuries too.

Among all the gloom of injuries, game plans (??), lack of mongrel etc., it's rewarding to notice some MFC players whose form this year has shone out above their peers in the team, or above their previous form. Maybe I'm trying to do some self therapy because everything else this year has gone to [censored]. For me, in no particular order, it's:

• Tappy - love his long and accurate passing, and his toughness. A great example to his more experienced team mates.
  
• Russian - has learned to jump early in the ruck, make the centre circle his and palm off to Moloney & co.
  
• Beamer - has been much more controlled when running out of the centre with the ball, deliberately pulling up on kicking for distance in favour of making his passes count.
  
• Jonesy - love his hardness and fight. Is shining this year. Have never understood why many on here have put him down. Foot passing has generally been good this year.
  
• Watts - at last - has begun showing some hardness, beginning with the Eagles game.
  
• Trenners - developing in stature in our midfield
  
• Maric - I know he's not the favourite of many here, but I was pleasantly surprised in the earlier games at his confidence and goal hunger.
  
• The Gys - for such a slightly built guy, he has really got in amongst it in his few games. Very very quick hands. Looks to have a lot more upside as he matures.
  

Who have you liked this year?

Agree with all of those

Passmarks

Garland

Gysberts

Jamar

Jones

Martin

McKenzie

Trengove

Moloney

Rivers

Sylvia

Evans

Tapscott

Watts

Bail

Sylvia has to be mentioned. Average early but has stood up in the last month, showing the leadership and intensity around the ball we desperately need.

Tappy's my favourite big improver, a solid unit and backs his delivery, it's great to see.

Seeing Watts develop into a footballer has been fantastic to watch and i couldn't be happier for him, as much as the club maintains that the pressure wasn't getting to him I can't imagine it not. The constant debate over him vs Naita would've been impossible for him to ignore, still waiting for him to have a massive breakthrough game but in just about every match this year he's been a consistent performer.

Gysberts is an impressive kid, for such a slight figure he knows how to go in and get it, he can only get better from here.

And a big special mention to Stef Martin who's had to shoulder sole rucking duties and has thus far come out of it very well. Still doesn't do much around the ground but what i really like has been his follow up work to his rucking, it actually reminds me a lot of Jamar!

- Bull. Can we clone him?

Sorry, not bovine yet, only works with sheep at this stage.

Rivers has been the pleasant surprise to me. I thought he was gone with Garland, Martin, Warnock & Frawley lurking. Still takes a lovely mark.

Has been mentioned once in here.

But for me Sylvia has been the most impressive to me.

Yes he may not have blown a lot of games apart this year (but you need help to do this)

But his consistancy has been great. He has been top 5 MFC in virtually every game this year. This I put down to his much improved Gut running, but also I think an emphasis from him to show leadership out on the field.

When we get the full side back, he is going to be extremely dangerous and may take that next step into the Elite category that we have all been wishing for

West Coast for a team that was so bad last year and how they have turned it around

Jones - improved player. i, like many, had written him off for alot of his short comings but he's working hard at becoming a decent player for us

Tapscott - Not overly flashy but gets the job done, wish we had more like him

Evans - probably too early to really discuss, but great debut

Bail - until injured was probably one of the most improved players on the list

Maric - Been impressed with some of his games. Looks a decent player who just needs to have confidence in his ability at this level

Martin - Probably a bit out of his depth playig as the #1 ruck, but was impressed at his ability to play the 2nd ruck / chop out with Jamar.

Actually, the other one I will give kudos too is LJ. I know, I know, doesn't work hard enough around the ground etc., but this is the longest run he's had in the side so far and it's a testament to the hard work he put in over the summer that he is only starting to have issues now. He would probably be having a spell this week if we weren't stuffed with injuries, and even so he still provides so much threat when he's parked in the forward line.

Everyone forgets that he's only played 20-odd games, and the quality we see out of him is nothing short of remarkable.

If MFC was awarding "Best First Year Player" now: Tapscott

If MFC was awarding "Most Improved Player in 2011" now: hard to choose between Watts, Bail and Martin. Probably Watts.

Nasher and Hightower have put in thier usual consistent peformances. Have liked Akum's work and the master is a huge improver.

Was not a fan of Stef until this year. He has really improved and looks like he can play a very capable second role to Jamar!