Mid-Season Review Part One: Jones to McKenzie

[Johnny Karate 559]

Part One: Jones to McKenzie

Nathan Jones - has been a shining light in a very dark year for the Demons to date. He is the only midfielder averaging over 20 disposals. His decision making, finishing and ability to run & spread have all improved. It is pleasing to see Jones develop into a nicely rounded midfielder given he was on the fringes of the team in 2010. It is a testament to his hard work that he has turned his career around. He isn't the complete package like a Judd, Ablett or Pendlebury. However there's no reason he can't be a very good player on that rung below the champion midfielders - think Sewell, S Thompson, Boyd or James McDonald. At 24 with 100+ games under his belt he is entering his prime & leading from the front. 

Rating: 8/10 - busts his nut & is leading from the front.

Clint Bartram - is another player who seems to enjoy Neeld's structure. Bartram is a brave player who rarely loses 50/50 contests & has the tough job of minding the opposition's best small forwards. Occasionally his direct opponent has got off the chain, ditto for the rest of the defenders when the Demons' third world midfield has been ritually smashed. Bartram seems to be playing to his limitations more in that the nightmarish switch stuff ups from 2011 seem to have faded from his game. That left foot checkside goal against the Saints was outrageous & a highlight of the season to date. Ultimately Clint Bartram is a jobber & may well fall out of the side in coming years due to natural attrition, not to mention a bung knee. However, if fit, he offers the ability to play a difficult role, courage & leadership something the Dees really lack across the board so if fit his short to medium term future should be secure.

 

Rating: 5/10 - sadly gone for the year, but played his role well nonetheless.

Jack Watts - is finding his feet in the backline & was given the tag by Mick Malthouse as 'best rebounder in the competition' (N.B. The same MM who said Jarod Harbrow was winning the Brownlow in R7 of 2010!). Nonetheless, Watts has been able to make the most of his exquisite skill & ability to read the play as a rebounding defender. It just wasn't working in the forward line for Jack due to a lack of conviction in his approach to aerial contests. He could do with more confidence & another pre-season but it is looking increasingly unlikely that Melbourne will get the forward they hoped for when his name was first called in November 2008. Watts is too talented to not be a very good player at AFL level for a long time but it looks as though it will be as a rebounding defender at this stage. 

Rating 4/10 before his move to the backline it was a 2.

Matthew Bate - has fallen out of favor with the selectors again after playing most of the first 7 rounds. It isn't entirely his own fault as the use of him as sub was pretty bizarre given that Bate has never been an impact player. Mark Neeld was evidently keen to keep him on the list, presumably due to a lack of mature bodied midfielders at the Dees. It just hasn't worked for Bate whose career has been at the crossroads for some time. Bate cut his teeth as a good lead up half forward even finishing third in the B&F in that role. However, the evolution of the press has killed that role & Bate has lacked the adaptability to adjust with the game. He lacks pace & critically the competitive mongrel to rip the ball out of a stoppage ala Jones or Magner (his hands are quite good when it's all going well for him though). Matty Bate is a footballer from a bygone era and has had a better career than most players who are drafted.

Rating 3/10 - probably finished at the Dees. Might get a shot elsewhere on basement wages but he just isn't good enough at this level.

Jamie Bennell - this is another chicken & egg. Has Bennell struggled because he hasn't really had a defined role in the team? Or - is it his own fault for not making one his own? Bennell is looking like a player devoid of confidence. He has never had a fierce appetite for the contest nor a real defensive work ethic, you suspect his endurance fitness probably isn't up to scratch either given his inability to at least accumulate some cheap ball throughout the course of his career. These issues mean that he can't get confidence through laying a few tackles, getting body contact or chip scabbing off half back. It's a real shame with Bennell because Melbourne are screaming out for a decent crumbing forward. He has good enough attributes & still has time to make that position his own but it's running out fast!

Rating: 1/10 - a real stinker of a year & just doesn't look up to AFL standard.

James Frawley - has battled admirably against some of the comps best forwards receiving a million forward 50 entries per game in 2012. He hasn't got back to that level of 2010 AA Fullback but is still providing reasonably good output on a weekly basis. The fact he is playing on the Buddy Franklin types instead of the Luke Breusts of this world should help both Chippa's & the Dees' development.

Rating 4/10 - has battled, but gets marked harshly as an AA fullback.

Jack Trengove - in what has been an annus horribilis for Melbourne, so too it has been for the first year skipper. A reasonable assumption is that Trengove is carrying a groin injury. He shows all the classic signs of OP - poor acceleration, can't kick over a jam tin & seems to have lost his vertical leap altogether. However, if you take Misson, Neeld & co at face value Trengove is not injured. The only possible explanations in this scenario are that a combination of a heavier pre-season workload, late pre-season injury, increased opposition attention, adjusting to the new coach/roles & initial burden of captaincy has hurt JT in 2012. He'll fight his way out of this slump & will stay in the side as he is showing enough endeavor but hopefully JT can turn it around in the back end of 2012.

Rating 3/10 - probably generous but gets a bonus point for effort

Cale Morton - a perennial whipping boy. Morton is one of the most frustrating players on the Dees list. The good Cale is good at working into space & spreading from a contest, his endurance is an asset & he is a nice size with the agility to play a number of roles on different opponents. Some days you look at him & think 'this guy could be a better version of Cam Bruce or our answer to Goddard, Gibbs or Mackie off a HBF'. The bad Cale then pops up and simultaneously causes a howler of a turnover, squibs a contest & then displays the type of body language that epitomizes defeat. Such is the gap between his best and worst he is pretty much a week to week proposition but he just needs to lift his intensity, endeavor & be a bit more determined in games instead of looking so defeated. He can still be a good player for this club.

Rating: 4/10 - Does some good things, but the howlers & the shirking really hurt his stocks.

Mitch Clark - has just about been recruit of the season. He should be lauded for his attitude and intensity. Clark has really embraced the club & has justified his rather large salary to date. Often playing a lone hand up forward, Clark has clunked marks, crashed packs, kicked tough goals & worked his tail off defensively. He is on target for 50 goals in 2012 which would be an outstanding effort in a side that really struggles with F50 entries. Clark could play in front a little bit more but it should be noted that he is often double & triple teamed. He is looming as Melbourne's best recruit since Jeff White.

Rating 9/10 - busts his nut, week in, week out. If it weren't for his massive pay packet you'd feel sorry for him. His attitude & intensity are a joy to watch. Bravo Mitch!

Colin Sylvia - another 'crowd favorite'. Like Watts & Morton, Sylvia's laconic style is a major source of frustration for Dees fans. An interrupted pre-season & adjusting to his role under Neeld have no doubt set him back. However, what really tests the most patient of fans is when he is seen smiling & laughing on the field after he & the team have turned another awful performance. I doubt Neeld will suffer Sylvia's antics much longer & he'll most likely be shopped around at the end of the season. Sylvia has the ability & attributes to be a quality finisher, the second half of 2012 will be career defining.

Rating: 1/10 - career worst form & really should be having more of an impact (or at least looking like he cares) interrupted pre season notwithstanding.

Jordie McKenzie - another of a very select bunch of Melbourne players to come away with his stocks enhanced in the first half of 2012. He isn't an elite user of the ball, lacks acceleration & does make poor decisions on occasion. However, he does do an excellent job of tagging, he isn't afraid to put his head over the ball & has a very good tackling technique which makes his contribution to the team invaluable. Tagging the competitions best midfielders week in, week out when your own midfield gets smashed isn't easy & Jordie Mac does an admirable job.

Rating: 6/10 - another who busts his nut & is rarely beaten.

[RalphiusMaximus 6,050]

Hard to argue with most of this. I think I'd have rated Bartram a little higher. He's been really good this year and has not only improved his kicking but also his judgement so that he rarely makes silly decisions when using the ball. I'd rate him as one of our few winners this season.

[rhaz 342]

If Clark gets 9/10, Jones easily deserves 9/10 too...

[BIG JIM 508]

Jack watts since going back would be in the top 3 players in the last month.

I think 4 is harsh but he did have a bad start to 2012 so i think a 5 for the year is fair and 7 since going back in the last 4 weeks.

[Bad Demon Pun 15]

I think I've got a Frawley bias but a 4 seems overly harsh. He's been taking the number 1 foward each week and thus far hasn't has more than 3 goals kicked directly on him.

[Johnny Karate 559]

I think I'm a little bit guilty of being a harsh marker but it's been a pretty terrible year & not too many players have covered themselves in glory. That said it is tough to play back or forward given the awful state of the midfield.

[Pates 9,660]

Yeah pretty much agree with most of them, Chip being the only one i'd give a higher mark but I understand your reasoning that you mark him with higher expectations. I think the start of year wasn't great but for the most part hes turning it around, the other tough thing for him was that the ball was coming into the defensive 50 with alarming regularity. Being a defender for Melbourne would have to be the toughest job in the competition. Hopefully that will change in the second half of the year.

Jones and Clark I would have about on par, I reckon Jones has been more consistent and his improvement has been a real highlight. Surely monty's for 1 and 2 in the B&F.

[Buzzy 992]

You pretty much nailed this. A+.

Looking forward to the rest.

[Johnny Karate 559]

While he's had a very good year I feel that Jones gets slightly overrated because of the lackluster nature of the rest of the midfield. He's been good, don't get me wrong but it's hard to say a midfielder averaging 23 disposals in this day & age is having a near perfect year. I feel Clark shades him marginally & would be just about in the top 3 KPFs in the comp on form. Jones would struggle to be in the top 20 Mids in the AFL.

[Samsara 65]

Great review; well written and fair.

[satyricon 267]

Like the post, well thought out, but a couple or three comments

"Watts is too talented to not be a very good player at AFL level for a long time but it looks as though it will be as a rebounding defender at this stage" yes and no, that is what he is doing at the moment

Cale Morton

Rating: 4/10 - "Does some good things, but the howlers & the shirking really hurt his stocks" - still picked this week so must be doing something right, of course everbody repeats the howlers and supposed shirking don't they. we have posters on this board who have never made a mistake

Col Sylvia - "Rating: 1/10 - career worst form & really should be having more of an impact (or at least looking like he cares) interrupted pre season notwithstanding" - which part of players saying "it is great to get a full pre season in, as it sets you up for the season proper" do posters on this board not get......I am sure Col would like to get one in one of these seasons

[Disco Demons 92]

If Clark gets 9/10, Jones easily deserves 9/10 too...

Agree...Nathan Jones works his butt off and is super consistent at the moment. He deserves a 9/10 for workrate.

[Guest bluey]

"Col Sylvia - "Rating: 1/10 - career worst form & really should be having more of an impact (or at least looking like he cares) interrupted pre season notwithstanding" - which part of players saying "it is great to get a full pre season in, as it sets you up for the season proper" do posters on this board not get......I am sure Col would like to get one in one of these seasons"

That's all very well bro, but finishing upside down in a car at 4.00a.m in the morning, and being dismissed from the Australian Squad for being on the sauce for the umpteenth time is not really conducive to being prepared for a good season.

[jnrmac 20,060]

Like the post, well thought out, but a couple or three comments

"Watts is too talented to not be a very good player at AFL level for a long time but it looks as though it will be as a rebounding defender at this stage" yes and no, that is what he is doing at the moment

Cale Morton

Rating: 4/10 - "Does some good things, but the howlers & the shirking really hurt his stocks" - still picked this week so must be doing something right, of course everbody repeats the howlers and supposed shirking don't they. we have posters on this board who have never made a mistake

Col Sylvia - "Rating: 1/10 - career worst form & really should be having more of an impact (or at least looking like he cares) interrupted pre season notwithstanding" - which part of players saying "it is great to get a full pre season in, as it sets you up for the season proper" do posters on this board not get......I am sure Col would like to get one in one of these seasons

Col is in his 8th season, Has never finished inside the top 5 in the B&F. I am not sure what you don't get? Cannot regularly produce. Full stop.

As for Cale: Still picked..... yep, sadly. But for a first year coach he has to I guess try every avenue to get a player to come to the party. Cale is contracted for next year so wile they can dump him if they want (and I do want) the reality is Neeld actually has no choice but to try and get him playing consistently good footy. I wish him the best of luck.

[Johnny Karate 559]

Cale Morton

Rating: 4/10 - "Does some good things, but the howlers & the shirking really hurt his stocks" - still picked this week so must be doing something right, of course everbody repeats the howlers and supposed shirking don't they. we have posters on this board who have never made a mistake

Col Sylvia - "Rating: 1/10 - career worst form & really should be having more of an impact (or at least looking like he cares) interrupted pre season notwithstanding" - which part of players saying "it is great to get a full pre season in, as it sets you up for the season proper" do posters on this board not get......I am sure Col would like to get one in one of these seasons

I like Morton as a player & certainly wasn't one of those thousands of idiots who jeered him off the ground on QB. I think a lot of it with him is confidence; his terror with the thought of making mistakes becomes a self fulfilling prophecy. It causes him to make the howlers which cost goals & his dithering when deciding to commit fully to a contest. He has been dropped on at least one occasion this year. As previously mentioned I'd like him to show a bit more determination, QB was a bit better in those stakes. I think he'll be a good player for this club & wish him well but I struggle to give him a pass to date in 2012.

As for Sylvia, I am guilty for marking him harshly - he is after all a senior player. I acknowledge his interrupted pre season doesn't help but his attitude stinks, I've no doubt he was dropped after the Sydney game for it. Jack Trengove is similarly hindered by his body at the moment & having a disappointing year but he still cracks in. I'd have no issue with Sylvia if he wasn't a senior player & if getting smashed every week didn't seem like such a lark to him.

Edited June 22, 2012 by Jimmi C

[satyricon 267]

Col is in his 8th season, Has never finished inside the top 5 in the B&F. I am not sure what you don't get? Cannot regularly produce. Full stop.

As for Cale: Still picked..... yep, sadly. But for a first year coach he has to I guess try every avenue to get a player to come to the party. Cale is contracted for next year so wile they can dump him if they want (and I do want) the reality is Neeld actually has no choice but to try and get him playing consistently good footy. I wish him the best of luck.

That is the whole point with Col, he can't get a consistent run at it, I get as frustrated as the next man when he produces a moment of brilliance and then does nothing for the rest of the time, but he has very rarely got a full pre season in, he has always found a way to injure himself or (get himself banned -although I think this was only once)

I am sure he knows exactly where he stands with Mark Neeld, but Neeldy is playing him, so I suppose at the moment this means he deserves his place no matter what everybody on here thinks.

And I think it is a cop out and insulting to the other players if posters say there is no one else, if Neeldy wanted to go with a young player, I am sure he would

Edited June 22, 2012 by satyricon

[jnrmac 20,060]

Like the post, well thought out, but a couple or three comments

"Watts is too talented to not be a very good player at AFL level for a long time but it looks as though it will be as a rebounding defender at this stage" yes and no, that is what he is doing at the moment

Cale Morton

Rating: 4/10 - "Does some good things, but the howlers & the shirking really hurt his stocks" - still picked this week so must be doing something right, of course everbody repeats the howlers and supposed shirking don't they. we have posters on this board who have never made a mistake

Well Satyricon, he's been un-picked now. Quite right too. Aside from his obvious howler his last quarter with three turnovers was a disgrace.

[jnrmac 20,060]

That is the whole point with Col, he can't get a consistent run at it, I get as frustrated as the next man when he produces a moment of brilliance and then does nothing for the rest of the time, but he has very rarely got a full pre season in, he has always found a way to injure himself or (get himself banned -although I think this was only once)

I am sure he knows exactly where he stands with Mark Neeld, but Neeldy is playing him, so I suppose at the moment this means he deserves his place no matter what everybody on here thinks.

And I think it is a cop out and insulting to the other players if posters say there is no one else, if Neeldy wanted to go with a young player, I am sure he would

A consistent run?? OMG get some facts right. Has played the following games:

2005 16

2006 17

2007 16

2008 18

2009 19

2010 15

2011 19

2012 6

Has played a total of 127 games and is the most frustrating player on our list next to Morton. Should be a superstar but has no second efforts - except when he is running away from a car crash at 5am. Needs a Steve Johnson rocket up his clacker or its career over.

[beelzebub 23,368]

msg 2 Cale

writing

-wall-

[jurrahcane 70]

agreed with comments, except Mitch Clark 9/10 AND Nathan Jones 9/10. Daylight to the rest ... Mckenzie next at 7/10, Magner 7/10 and Rivers 7/10. Hard to find more other passes. Jamar 6/10.

[Lil_red_fire_engine 11,175]

I think you have overrated McKenzie, underrated Watts and severely underrated Frawley who has not been beaten all year in a backline under immense pressure.