It's worrying isn't it? Yesterday again he looked terribly slow. He has all the mobility of Matty Bate at the moment.

I think he needs a week off. He just doesn't look fresh.

Blah, blah, blah injury

Blah, blah, blah training load

It better be something, or else RR is right.

Wow. RR going way overboard again.

So he was a star in the making the last two years but now he is not RR? He is another poor choice?

Spare me RR. He is playing hurt- many AFL players do it every week. I'll bet you the injury is one that won't get any worse by playing but that won't be able to be rectified till the end of the year so they are persisting.

There's nothing like a bit of good old fashioned RR sensationalism.

And disagree with RR at your peril folks, cause he is always right- in his eyes!

Playing hurt. Is he? Says who?

Cotchin is miles ahead of Trengove up till now.

Cotchin has grabbed games by the balls and been influential.

When has JT left his mark on a game? I do not like it but i am a realist.

Put D Martin in the same category for that matter. Why does Jack just keep jogging?

Playing hurt. Is he? Says who?

Says me.

But don't let me stop the poo spewing forth from your keyboard...

Says me.

But don't let me stop the poo spewing forth from your keyboard...

Cheers Doc. I'm not running around the tan as fast as I used to. PM and tell me what you think's wrong. Much appreciated cheers.

there has been absolutely nothing to say he is injured, no quick comments in the media, nothing from Trengove, nothing from Neeld or any team mates. you really think they would let a player take the flak of bad performance if he was genuinely injured?

But how wrong you are. One of my mum's workmates' son is friends with Sam Blease and Blease has told him that Trengove has OP. So clearly he is injured and the reason for his poor performances is based around this.

But how wrong you are. One of my mum's workmates' son is friends with Sam Blease and Blease has told him that Trengove has OP. So clearly he is injured and the reason for his poor performances is based around this.

This may just be the most reliable source in the AFL. Did your source also have an off the record conversation with Jason Mifsud earlier this year?

Leave him alone. Give him ten years to prove himself like Morton and Sylvia.

I just go back to that kick from about 35m out earlier in the season, which didn't make the distance.

A lack of confidence or form? I don't think so.

Dustin Martin's struggling at the moment as well, showing very few glimpses of what made him so impressive last year. Looking at the draft, the only other player I'd love in our team is Fyfe and he's out injured now anyway.

Neeld mentioned in an interview that Trengove was 2nd on the gps thing that shows how far each player runs during the game. I get the feeling he's just running himself into the ground plus his focus would be on the gameplan, his team mates and getting the defensive side of things down. Once this becomes second nature, his natural game will come out again and you'll start seeing the flashes of an elite player in the making again. I am a little worried about his pace but I'll put that down to training load and the amount of running he's doing on gameday. Either way, he'll definitely benefit from when our basic defensive structures are down and he can play more offensively.

Obviously has leadership in spades or he wouldn't have been made captain at 20 and he's shown in the last two years that he's going to be a very good player. Happy to give him the benefit of the doubt in the mean time, I reckon we'll watch his fortunes change as the team's do.

I just go back to that kick from about 35m out earlier in the season, which didn't make the distance.

Yep, in some ways that kick reassured me that all will be OK with Jack. In past years it would have gone through post high.

A 20yo doesn't lose speed, or talent, or kicking distance. Something is definately not right with him

He will come out the other side a better player. It must be frustrating for him

But how wrong you are. One of my mum's workmates' son is friends with Sam Blease and Blease has told him that Trengove has OP. So clearly he is injured and the reason for his poor performances is based around this.

So,

You--->Mum--->Workmate--->Son--->Blease--->JT

I make that 5th hand

I'd like to believe that's true ('cos it makes sense) but it's about as dodgy as a sauce gets

I don't agree with the arguement that the club definitely wouldn't play him if he was injured. Clubs play injured players all the time, particularly if they determine that playing won't exacerbate the injury. Ball played with OP when at St Kilda and Judd played with an adductor injury in his last season at WC are two pertinent examples. Furthermore, OP and adductor tendonopathies can take months to years to resolve completely, so it would mean a long time out of footy.

IF he was playing injured, I doubt the club would broadcast this intelligence to the football world. Firstly, it's questionable whether it would release the pressure on Jack for underperforming, more likely it would invite the medical opinion of every armchair expert about whether he should be playing. Secondly, it confirms what the opposition probably suspect and allows them to plan to exploit his weaknesses.

So ur telling me, your able to tell he is injured, but an oppositions doctor isn't able to ?

Long-time reader, first post. I’m not sure if anyone has read this article but I think it’ll answer a few question:

http://www.news.com.au/news/trengoves-tough-initiation-at-melbourne-co-captain/story-fndv8pdq-1226390579278

Long-time reader, first post. I’m not sure if anyone has read this article but I think it’ll answer a few question:

http://www.news.com....q-1226390579278

Thanks Mr Coker ... read that article. Doesn't really say much, though. Certainly no mention of an "injury".

I think one of the biggest issues with trengove at the moment is that he cant seem to keep his damn feet.

he falls over all the time, almost every situation i see him in, he seems to somehow fall over! if he kept his feet a bit better he would be able to put in those 2nd 3rd n 4th efforts sometimes needed to get a good posession

I have been saying this for four weeks in the "Changes for" ....thread , ever since he failed to make the distance to goal from 30m out. I believe he will play the game after the bye, be interesting to watch his energy levels after having the week off, my observation is he puts in a couple of efforts then looks knackered, strange because he was flying preseason..

Thanks Mr Coker ... read that article. Doesn't really say much, though. Certainly no mention of an "injury".

It was more to support Yossarian post, where he states “I get the feeling he's just running himself into the ground plus his focus would be on the gameplan, his team mates and getting the defensive side of things down. Once this becomes second nature, his natural game will come out again and you'll start seeing the flashes of an elite player in the making again”.

I think Jack will be a pretty solid player but I think his problems are a combination of injury and lack of confidence. I've heard he is a pretty mature young man but it would be hard to put stamp your authority on a group of older guys, especially at a place that has been as dysfunctional as the MFC. That is pressure right there. Couple that with an injury which he appears to be carrying and you have got a version of Jack that you see out on the park before you.

He barely gets involved. I think he just needs to find a place. I am not especially concerned about his progress.

I don't know how you can say this. It's just patently not true. Cotchin actually was injured for a great deal of his first couple of seasons. That was documented. But he still shone through and everyone could still see the quality. Bennel and Coniglio have come in and just gone 'bang'.

What's Jack done to get us similarly excited about in his career to date? It's his third season and he should really be starting to exert an influence. Excite the fans.

But he isn't. Quite the opposite in fact.

It's not over the top. It's just the reality.

So I assume you can show me where you and others pointed out Trenners lack of quality and excitment over the last 2 years then RR? Unbelivable, the kid hits his first lean patch and suddenly he'll be nothing more then a good average player....

Also I don't recall Harley Bennell doing anything of any note at all last season?

Some people have very short memories.

So I assume you can show me where you and others pointed out Trenners lack of quality and excitment over the last 2 years then RR? Unbelivable, the kid hits his first lean patch and suddenly he'll be nothing more then a good average player....

Also I don't recall Harley Bennell doing anything of any note at all last season?

Some people have very short memories.

I can't point out to you any patch of games in three years where I've sat up and thought ... "wow, this guy's going to be a star". Nup. Sorry to be blunt, I haven't. He showed promise for an 18yo in his first year, couldn't fault his endeavour. Some great tackling. Same in his second season although it was much of the same. Now, in his third he seems not only to have stagnated but gone backwards.

He's not showing enough for a no.2 draft pick in his third season. Nowhere near it. Where are the tricks? The pace? The brilliance?

He's not a 'kid' anymore. He's captain of the MFC and he needs to start showing some justification for that title.

Edited June 12, 201213 yr by Range Rover

Long-time reader, first post. I’m not sure if anyone has read this article but I think it’ll answer a few question:

http://www.news.com....q-1226390579278

Fair call...let's all watch how this pans out..

I can't point out to you any patch of games in three years where I've sat up and thought ... "wow, this guy's going to be a star". Nup. Sorry to be blunt, I haven't. He showed promise for an 18yo in his first year, couldn't fault his endeavour. Some great tackling. Same in his second season although it was much of the same. Now, in his third he seems not only to have stagnated but gone backwards.

He's not showing enough for a no.2 draft pick in his third season. Nowhere near it. Where are the tricks? The pace? The brilliance?

He's not a 'kid' anymore. He's captain of the MFC and he needs to start showing some justification for that title.

I can't believe you can blindly support neeld on one hand, and slag trengove on the other. Don't hold it against him that he was the 2nd best player in the draft, he has done everything he can for the club whilst he's been on our list and will be an a grade star for us. He's having an average year, cut him some slack

Because if he's not injured ... and neither the club nor the man himself have said he is ... then we look to have picked up no better than a good, ordinary player at pick 2 in the 2009 draft.

I know I'll be shot down over this but for the life of me I can't see what we're supposed to be getting excited about.

Look at 2010 and 2011... they weren't fictions. He was everything you could ask for. Consistent, damaging, fast... a 22 round player.

Something's changed. You don't go backwards this far in one off season without reason. I would understand if he'd stagnated. Some players peak in their teen years. But even his teenage form would be better than what we're seeing here.