2011 Player Review - # 36 Aaron Davey

[Demonland 73,136]

Davey had a poor season. He was often tagged heavily and he suffered a knee injury that kept him out for half a season and from which he never really recovered. His frustration told on him late in the season when he was uncharacteristically involved in an incident which saw him incur a week's suspension for striking.

Games MFC 2011 11 MFC Total  150 Goals MFC 2011 5 MFC Total 152

Games CSFC 2011  1 Goals CSFC 2011 0  

[John Crow Batty 8,878]

I would be happy if he never plays another game with us for the rest of his career. Just pay him out and get rid of him. The biggest letdown of the season. If I spoke my mind I will surely be suspended again.

Edited October 20, 2011 by america de cali

[beelzebub 23,382]

2011 was not Aarons most shining moment in his career. Hopefully 2012 sees him spring back with fresh verve and revitalised . On song is nothing less than a dazzling potent weapon. Off key............. hes 2011.

Heres to 2012.

[Chicken Deelicious 0]

2011 couldn't even hold a tackle with his hands down his pants. Gees I hope it was a 'slump' and we can see his best re-emerge. What an upside bonus that would be!

[rpfc 28,736]

I would be happy if he never plays another game with us for the rest of his career. Just pay him out and get rid of him. The biggest letdown of the season. If I spoke my mind I will surely be suspended again.

I don't think you should be suspended, but I also don't think you should applauded for a view like this.

It's not only bordering on boorish, it's not near the realms of possibility and makes me wonder whether you are just embellishing your view to have your view noticed.

[rpfc 28,736]

He will get better next year I have no doubt.

2011 should be just forgotten if I was him, same with Green, at some point you just have to concentrate on yourself after a year like that and do your job.

Another reason why we need leadership change...

But that is another thread.

[John Crow Batty 8,878]

I wonder how his knee is coming along?

[btdemon 482]

Some posters have taken a real set to Davey. Yes, his sense of self-preservation overtook him in an incident earlier this season. What player has not done the same? Those who never consider their own safety end up getting very hurt. Aaron Davey is 5'9" and 74 kgs. That's a very little guy by today's football standards. I suspect those who condemn him for being "soft", would not be prepared to put themselves in the same physical danger. Footballers are human. This guy has given us some of our most exciting highlights of the past 7 years and is one of our few real class players. I look forward to him playing this year, less encumbered by injury.

[Juicebox 628]

I would be happy if he never plays another game with us for the rest of his career. Just pay him out and get rid of him. The biggest letdown of the season. If I spoke my mind I will surely be suspended again.

He's been one of our best players through some of the most exciting and depressing seasons. Yes 2011 was a stinker for him, but show a bit more respect for the players who have stuck by this club. He could have easily chased the $$ elsewhere.

[beelzebub 23,382]

He's been one of our best players through some of the most exciting and depressing seasons. Yes 2011 was a stinker for him, but show a bit more respect for the players who have stuck by this club. He could have easily chased the $$ elsewhere.

instead of the big dollars he chased for and got at Melbourne

[Nasher 33,617]

Hard to imagine how he could possibly have had a worse year. An absolute disaster in which his confidence and reputation were all completely soiled. Must put it behind him, because he still have a big role to play in our success if he can recover from this.

Has a clean slate in 2012 as far as this poster is concerned.

[Pates 9,660]

Hard to imagine how he could possibly have had a worse year. An absolute disaster in which his confidence and reputation were all completely soiled. Must put it behind him, because he still have a big role to play in our success if he can recover from this.

Has a clean slate in 2012 as far as this poster is concerned.

Exactly. New coach, new year. 2012 is a chance at a reboot for a lot of players and Flash is definitely one of them, he still a very important leader to the indigenous players, and I really hope he gets his body right and proves he's still got a role to play 2012-onwards.

[monoccular 17,572]

Maybe the new fitness team, plus a new coach will help him renew his self belief and regain confidence.

There is no doubt that his best is brilliant - I am prepared to say 2011 was 'one of those things, hampered by a frustrating injury', but sure as hell he needs to fire up or 2012.

IMO his best role is as a deep crumbing, and tackling/harassing/chasing forward. I still remember well in his first or second season, when stationed deep in the FP, the FBs kicking in were sheeting themselves that he was going to pounce should they play on or take too long and have the maggot call "play on". We need to see that again.

Go Aaron; GO DEMONS. Bring it on!

Edited October 21, 2011 by monoccular

[Chook 15,022]

Forgotten how to tackle, lost a yard of pace, can't kick a goal, kicks when he should handpass, demands the footy when he shouldn't, doesn't take a mark, shouldn't play an AFL game until he demonstrates some of the qualities he showed before he caught the soft Melbourne bug.

[McQueen 17,867]

Some posters have taken a real set to Davey. Yes, his sense of self-preservation overtook him in an incident earlier this season. What player has not done the same? Those who never consider their own safety end up getting very hurt. Aaron Davey is 5'9" and 74 kgs. That's a very little guy by today's football standards. I suspect those who condemn him for being "soft", would not be prepared to put themselves in the same physical danger. Footballers are human. This guy has given us some of our most exciting highlights of the past 7 years and is one of our few real class players. I look forward to him playing this year, less encumbered by injury.

I was at that game but I missed the incident. The sun was in my eyes.

I really hope Flash turns it around. He certainly wasn't on his Pat Malone this season. I see his improvement coming from the over-arching set of variables that have taken place since the close of the season. New coaches, new team-mates, new fitness regime etc = Fresh and firing AD.

[old dee 23,870]

Hard to imagine how he could possibly have had a worse year. An absolute disaster in which his confidence and reputation were all completely soiled. Must put it behind him, because he still have a big role to play in our success if he can recover from this.

Has a clean slate in 2012 as far as this poster is concerned.

Agree withn you Nasher however I have some big doubts.

This is because he cannot handle a close tackler.

We need him badly he is one of the few older players that is capable of lifting us.

[beelzebub 23,382]

A lot will depend who else we maintain on the paddock. He was able to be targeted often through our dilution of stock to go. Given a few players staying upright and fit long enough to impact a game Aaron might not remain the prime focus. Its probably a hope more than anything else tttt.

[Yoda 33]

Hasn't played a decent game since QB 2010.

There are form slumps and then there's Ian Baker-Finch. He's not quite at that point but has a massive challenge to pull himself back from the brink.

Edited October 21, 2011 by Yoda

[John Crow Batty 8,878]

He's going to have to move mountains to get back my respect. I used to admire him and was even entertaining the thought he might be captain material back in 2010. What he did in the St Kilda game was inexcusable. This was a watershed game for us. Hard fought and only trailing by 11 points at 3/4 time. Our chance for our first victory on the road for many years in Vic and to give us a solid platform for the run home in the second half of the season.

He goes out and gives a 50 metre penalty and a gimme goal to ruin us at the start of the last quarter. I've looked at the replay many times. And it sure looks like he knew what he was doing when he threw the ball back to MacDonald. This is after he develops scullyitis of the knee in the third quarter. His body language said something else. That weak effort in pulling out of a contest which everyone talks about was the lesser of his sins that day.

When he comes off a long lay off he does stuff all and gets suspended in the most obvious way. We are never going to get anywhere with the likes of him for as long as he remains at the top of the pecking order. He needs to have to earn his spot back starting from the very bottom at Casey seconds for a few games to clean up his attitude before the other deficiencies in his game are addressed.

Edited October 21, 2011 by america de cali

[Deeoldfart 8,061]

Hard to imagine how he could possibly have had a worse year. An absolute disaster in which his confidence and reputation were all completely soiled. Must put it behind him, because he still have a big role to play in our success if he can recover from this.

Has a clean slate in 2012 as far as this poster is concerned.

I think you've summed it up perfectly Nasher.

Aaron seemed to have some serious problems with his head space in 2011. To me he appeared frustrated (with taggers, but probably moreso with himself), moody and bereft of confidence, and this reflected in the way he played. He certainly showed none of the zip and precision which had become his hallmark over the years, and his body language often set a poor example for his younger team-mates. I'm certainly not writing him off after one horrible season, but he needs to bounce back in a big way in 2012. I imagine that Aaron would be the first to acknowledge this.

[Adzman 2,154]

2012 will be a new era for Aaron Davey. Davey is a guy who crawled into the AFL via the rookie list and quickly established himself as one of our better players. One bad season and we are calling for his head on a stick? Seems a tad shortsighted considering he was injured and the entire team fell short of expectations. Add coaching and Scully drama and 2011 was a year for everyone to forget.

Davey is the leader of the brothers, and despite not being a hard footballer is still one of our most skillfull players. He is a leader and a very capable player. Neeld will no doubt use his strengths and we should see a much better Davey in 2012. A refreshed Davey is something to look forward to.

[Bring-Back-Powell 14,936]

Anyone know why he didn't get selected v Port in the last game?

He was available but they overlooked him

Shows how low he has sunk.

He and Grimes will hopefully be like new recruits for us next year.

[Yoda 33]

2012 will be a new era for Aaron Davey. Davey is a guy who crawled into the AFL via the rookie list and quickly established himself as one of our better players. One bad season and we are calling for his head on a stick? Seems a tad shortsighted considering he was injured and the entire team fell short of expectations. Add coaching and Scully drama and 2011 was a year for everyone to forget.

Davey is the leader of the brothers, and despite not being a hard footballer is still one of our most skillfull players. He is a leader and a very capable player. Neeld will no doubt use his strengths and we should see a much better Davey in 2012. A refreshed Davey is something to look forward to.

I've got problems with the two highlighted points you made.

He's had closer to two bad seasons and I think the leader tag is applied a tad too liberally in his case.

He'll be a leader - whether for the brothers or anyone else - when he starts playing hard, solid contested footy.

[rpfc 28,736]

I've got problems with the two highlighted points you made.

He's had closer to two bad seasons and I think the leader tag is applied a tad too liberally in his case.

He'll be a leader - whether for the brothers or anyone else - when he starts playing hard, solid contested footy.

Yoda would not revise history like this.

I have been a massive critic of Aaron Davey this year but people are not entitled to their own facts.

In Aaron's 2009 Bluey winning year he averaged 23 touches. The next year he averaged 19 touches, had 10 Brownlow votes and finished 4th in the Bluey.

So if you want to live up to the name, you should search your feelings, but also your memories, before you post...

[Yoda 33]

Yoda would not revise history like this.

I have been a massive critic of Aaron Davey this year but people are not entitled to their own facts.

In Aaron's 2009 Bluey winning year he averaged 23 touches. The next year he averaged 19 touches, had 10 Brownlow votes and finished 4th in the Bluey.

So if you want to live up to the name, you should search your feelings, but also your memories, before you post...

Fair point ... possibly. But my memory is that he was on song until that QB 2010 game and then faded. It would be interesting to know how many of those votes he polled prior to that match.

There's this from his wikipedia entry ... "Davey's 2010 season was not as successful as the year before and, although he remained one of Melbourne's better players and their main playmaker, he was not as damaging as the previous season".

Is 19 touches per match (2010) so great for your 'main playmaker' and possibly highest paid player?

Despite our thousand year lifespans, us Jedi are largely immune to Alzheimers Rpfc.

Edited October 22, 2011 by Yoda