Mark Jamar

[Jordie_tackles 354]

Couldnt see a profile for the guy in the locker room.

Anyway some good news here, negotiations starting on his next contract as reported on MFC web page.

Lets get him signed up for 3 imo, by that time Gawn will be truly ready, with Martin as the number 2.

Being harsh Gawn might be ready in 2 and we will need to juggle both of them.....will only be a problem if Gawn can stay fit for 2 years.

http://www.melbourne...77/default.aspx

"I'm a Melbourne player and that is where I want to play the rest of my footy," he said.

"It is good - the season hasn't even started and the club has gone to my manager and I don't think that has ever happened to me before," Jamar said

[rpfc 28,931]

He would be our priority FA so that is good.

[Guest Thomo]

Couldnt see a profile for the guy in the locker room.

Anyway some good news here, negotiations starting on his next contract as reported on MFC web page.

Lets get him signed up for 3 imo, by that time Gawn will be truly ready, with Martin as the number 2.

Being harsh Gawn might be ready in 2 and we will need to juggle both of them.....will only be a problem if Gawn can stay fit for 2 years.

http://www.melbourne...77/default.aspx

I doubt Gawn will make it. Two knee recos at his age for a big man is not good. Poor choice by Melbourne in that draft, they need to start looking elsewhere.

[rpfc 28,931]

I doubt Gawn will make it. Two knee recos at his age for a big man is not good. Poor choice by Melbourne in that draft, they need to start looking elsewhere.

Thanks for letting us know. We appreciate it.

On a side note, it is tempting to note that while knee recos are difficult to come back from, the career of Gawn would probably best be likened to the one that this thread is named after.

Jamar didn't play regularly until his 5th year when he was understudy to White (22 games). He showed little, and showed even less the next year in an injury and form riddled year (10 games).

He then doubled his hitouts the following year and showed a little before injury came calling again (14 games).

He continued his improvement in his 8th year but was brought down by a foot stress frature and quad issues (7 games).

In his 9th year he was AA (22 games).

In his tenth year he did his PCL (15 games).

Take this story as you wish.

What I take from it is: Gawn doesn't have to be a consistent back-up until 2014 and he has until 2017 to be a consistent number one ruck.

He has plenty of time...

[Jordie_tackles 354]

Also Max Bailey Hawthron atm, has a had atleast 2 if not 3 and is now becoming a regular

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

I doubt Gawn will make it. Two knee recos at his age for a big man is not good. Poor choice by Melbourne in that draft, they need to start looking elsewhere.

While not good, its not the end for him. And we went pick 34 on Gawn so hardly sweating the big stuff. Had he not been injured he was rated to have gone higher.

[rhaz 342]

Spoke really well, honest answers that aren't as cliche as most footballers. Should do a lot of our media work now seeing as he is in the leadership group (Trenners struggles, [Deleted] Garlo is too quiet... haven't heard much of the others speak)

[Chook 15,023]

Spoke really well, honest answers that aren't as cliche as most footballers. Should do a lot of our media work now seeing as he is in the leadership group (Trenners struggles, Frawley isn't the sharpest in the shed, Garlo is too quiet... haven't heard much of the others speak)

I agree, I think he's really good. Actually, I've thought that for a while. I think it was the year before last that I first really heard him speak, and I was quite blown away. I was not expecting him to be so eloquent and real in his responses. Doesn't give too much away, obviously, but still manages to avoid all the cliches that you generally hear in these sorts of interviews.

[BAMF 4,453]

Am I right in saying that we can re-negotiate the terms of this years contract as well? Means we can reach our 100% salary cap this year and save later?

When does Jamar become a vet?

[Jumping Jack Clennett 1,820]

Can Demonlanders please give me some confidence in the value of our ex-All Australian ruckman.

Does he take enough marks?

Is he an effective kick?

Why do we continually lose possession at centre bounces? Is it a lack of ability of our midfielders, or is it delivered in a predictable, and ineffective way?

Occasionally a ruckman is favoured by a slightly askew bounce up. When it favours the Russian, my impression is that he rarely puts it down the throat of a nearby team-mate. He never thumps it forward.

I'd say his best strength is negating the opp. rucks, but shouldn't we expect more?

He's not very tall compared to ,say, Cox or Sandilands, but he appears far less mobile to me.

Time after time his stats read well for hitouts, yet they're not very obvious to me. Does it count as a hitout if he touches it first and the ball drops into the pack?

Does he give away too many frees, even against inexperienced opponents?

Rucking is a complicated business, and it's easy to overlook effective buffetting work by big men.Perhaps that's where I'm wrong.

Can people reassure me we have a good ruckman in the Russian? It'll take more than raw "hitout stats" to convince me, for the reason mentioned above.

[Bluelegs 36]

Used to be a pretty good shot for goal. Not sure what happened

[cowboy_from_hell 2,390]

Russian is an absolute gun at the tapouts and his marking around the ground is what made him an All Australian. His Goal kicking and kicking in general is pretty poor though you see him take a mark across the defensive 50 and he looks for the handball straight away and it slows us up and we lose all momentum. When he takes marks in the forward 50 It's the same problem. If he could fix his kicking he would be the envy of a lot of clubs.

[rpfc 28,931]

We have got a few players to get through before we criticise Jamar.

[Ron Burgundy 8,588]

Russian has the ability to take strong contested marks in ANY pack. In fact, I reckon he's one of the best contested marks in the league.

Despite what C-F-H says above, I also think his set shot kicking is reasonable. It's not fantastic, but it's not that bad either.

[jabberwocky 2,301]

We have got a few players to get through before we criticise Jamar.

Absolutely, would have thought there were 15 or 16 positions on the ground we would need to worry about before we look at the Russian.

There would be 17 other clubs who would love him.

[Rhino Richards 1,467]

Used to be a pretty good shot for goal. Not sure what happened

Russian is an absolute gun at the tapouts and his marking around the ground is what made him an All Australian. His Goal kicking and kicking in general is pretty poor though you see him take a mark across the defensive 50 and he looks for the handball straight away and it slows us up and we lose all momentum. When he takes marks in the forward 50 It's the same problem. If he could fix his kicking he would be the envy of a lot of clubs.

What rubbish. Over the course of his career, Jamar has had one of the most accurate goal conversion rates. He is currently at 68.8%. He had a blowout year last year and kicked 4.6. Prior to 2011, he was converting 74%. There are not many AFL foorballers that have a better conversion with that. Here is his tally over the years.

2003 2 1 2004 2005 1 2006 10 2 2007 4 3 2008 4 2 2009 7 2 2010 12 4 2011 4 6 Totals 44 20

And if Jamar takes a handball to a running player after taking a mark as opposed to going back looking for options and using up time then how can that be slowing us down.

Gee the biggest issue with Jamar is his fitness to play as many games as possible. Not the misguided nitpicking here. Lets hope for a fit Russian this year.

[DemonDave 1,099]

Interestingly Mark Jamar has a younger brother who is playing for North Adelaide in the SANFL

http://www.nafc.com.au/seniorfootball/players/default.aspx

He is 24 according to his bio.

[Jumping Jack Clennett 1,820]

I was stunned to see Jamar mentioned as our best player last Saturday.

Repeatedly he'd jump early, take his eyes off the ball, and fail to help the team at stoppages. Somehow the official stats accredited him with multiple hit outs. Were they the little taps over his shoulder about half a meter, where the ball ended up in a mass of players scrambling for it? How often did he get a clear tap to our advantage?

It's time he varied his tactics. Occasionally, when favoured by the bounce he should thump the ball forward. I know it's not conventional wisdom, since it might land straight down an opponent's throat. However, at the moment, the opposition always can predict where he's going to direct the ball(back and to the left, about half a metre.)

Also it's time he took a few more marks.

Despite the learned remarks about his supposed accuracy in front of goal, I think most supporters would agree that he's pathologically inaccurate. When Jamar is in possession at a stoppage situation, Melb players should run past earlier than they do now , to take the hand pass. His foot disposal is lamentable.

I have a depressing feeling we're living in a fool's paradise with this guy, and that he might be one of the reasons we underperform. Bring on Spencer and Gawn!!!

[Yossarian 1,820]

Agree with ol mate jumping jack, not heaps happy with the big russian who's somehow become the most predictable ruckman in the league.

Starting to make me physically angry everytime he handpasses it to someone under pressure after every mark or free kick and after every bloody tapout that goes straight down to his feet.

Two things you have to do as an opposition team: send one player to your ruckman's advantage and one straight under jamar, then everytime he has a free kick run around behind him cos that's where he's gonna be handpassing it.

[jackaub 1,402]

Can Demonlanders please give me some confidence in the value of our ex-All Australian ruckman.

Does he take enough marks?

Is he an effective kick?

Why do we continually lose possession at centre bounces? Is it a lack of ability of our midfielders, or is it delivered in a predictable, and ineffective way?

Occasionally a ruckman is favoured by a slightly askew bounce up. When it favours the Russian, my impression is that he rarely puts it down the throat of a nearby team-mate. He never thumps it forward.

I'd say his best strength is negating the opp. rucks, but shouldn't we expect more?

He's not very tall compared to ,say, Cox or Sandilands, but he appears far less mobile to me.

Time after time his stats read well for hitouts, yet they're not very obvious to me. Does it count as a hitout if he touches it first and the ball drops into the pack?

Does he give away too many frees, even against inexperienced opponents?

Rucking is a complicated business, and it's easy to overlook effective buffetting work by big men.Perhaps that's where I'm wrong.

Can people reassure me we have a good ruckman in the Russian? It'll take more than raw "hitout stats" to convince me, for the reason mentioned above.

How did he go lat week and tonight

Did he impose himself?

[Chook 15,023]

I think Russian's poor performances are getting under the radar. He's gone seriously downhill this year and last year.

[saltbush13 1]

very poor performance, lack of intensity and commitment to the team

[Radar Detector 1,347]

Has no athleticism, no confidence by foot and is too predictable. Russian is a pure tap ruck man who doesn't get much footy around the ground so if his taps become ineffective, he has very little value.

[Webber 10,586]

He is a liability and must be dropped. 4 possessions in a game is simply woeful, by any players standards. Jack Fitzpatrick for all his rawness, will compensate with athleticism and run. He and Stef should be allowed to ruck all day with Stef as the primary, off the bench if necessary. It won't be pretty for Jack F, but at least it will be THERE! Also can't wait to see Jake Spencer back, if only for his Steve O'Dwyer style mongrel! And Maxy Gawn eventually. We must offload Mark Jamar at years end, whichever way we get the best deal.

[Biffen 12,949]

Has no athleticism, no confidence by foot and is too predictable. Russian is a pure tap ruck man who doesn't get much footy around the ground so if his taps become ineffective, he has very little value.

A poor start to the year for the Russian but you cant just dump the dude.He took ages to come good. Must be working with pain .