Mid Season Review Part Two: Dunn to Rivers

[Johnny Karate 559]

Part Two: Dunn to Rivers

Lynden Dunn - has performed surprisingly well as a sub the past two weeks. He came on & laid a team high 7 tackles in the last qtr v Essendon as well as jagging a couple of goals against Collingwood late. Dunn is another perennial whipping boy who is playing for his career rather than it being at the crossroads. A bit like his fellow 04 draftee Bate, Dunn is the quintessential 'tweener. Too small & timid in the air to play KPF but too big, slow as well as lacking the endurance & smarts to play as a midfielder. Dunn has a few more tricks than Bate - goal instinct, more flexibility & pace as well as 'flying the flag'. So Bate will be out the door before him but if Dunn's current form keeps up it would be only slightly. Disappointing for a player who looked to have got his career back on track in 2010.

Rating: 3/10 - does some nice things but not enough.

Ricky Petterd - See Dunn, rinse & repeat. Petterd has had the worst season of his career to date. To only get two games in this slopfest of a year shows he is out of favor with the new coach big time. Like Dunn, Petterd had a very good 2010 & looked to have got his career on track but the last two seasons to date have been a malaise of mediocrity with mere glimpses of potential. It can't be easy playing in Melbourne's forward line but when the ball hits the deck, Petterd should be able to compete for it ferociously. Failing that he should be able to put some real defensive pressure on the rebounding defenders. Against Richmond in 2011, Petterd laid 14 forward 50 tackles but has failed to live up to anything close to that standard. Petterd has quite a few distinct competitive advantages over the Dunns & Bates of this world - he competes well in the air, his comparative pace & agility should allow him to compete better on the ground & despite being ugly, his little helicopters often find their way through the middle. Petterd has something to offer this team, but his career is at the crossroads.

Rating 0/10 - an absolute stinker. Enough said.

Jack Grimes - like the rest of his club, the new captain has struggled to get going in 2012, only finding some semblance of form in recent weeks. It has been encouraging from a supporter perspective to watch Grimes move to the midfield in recent weeks. His centre square work has been of a good standard & while not being the most polished kick, Grimes usually weighs up the percentages quite well - he is also the clubs leading kick getter to date & with Nathan Jones one of only two Demons averaging over 20 disposals per game. It is a massive relief that he has got to the halfway point of the season without having his ritual injury woes. Hopefully Grimes can continue to stay on the park & consolidate his good work of recent weeks.

Rating 5/10 - gets a pass mark just, recent form has been encouraging.

Sam Blease - is another player to have bounced back to form in recent weeks. He initially struggled with a move up the ground from his 2011 role of HBF. However in recent weeks he has shown glimpses of the line breaking pace & elite disposal that give him every chance of being a very good player in this competition. Blease does struggle with endurance & the defensive side to his game also requires improvement but that blistering speed gives him the ability to be a 70m player. Like Grimes, hopefully he can consolidate his recent form into the second half of the season.

Rating 4/10 - has looked pretty good over the past month but goes cold for long periods

Brad Green - the old war horse appears to be on his way to the knackery. Green has been a fantastic servant of the club over a long period of time but his form drop over the past two years has been dramatic. He does suffer from the fact that the position from which he won the 2010 B&F is now obsolete thanks to the press. The captaincy, subsequent stripping of it & simply getting older have also left Green a shadow of the player he was. Watching him play, you can tell the mind is willing but the body has just about packed up, he gets to contests too late, catches opponents too high & gives away too many frees. He looked to be getting back to form against Collingwood before a groin injury cruelly intervened. Hopefully he can get back for a few games in the back end of the season, he has built up enough credits over time to earn a farewell tour.

Rating 2/10 - Great servant, horror year.

Colin Garland - at first a subtle, then a dramatic role change have tested Garland's limitations as a player in 2012. Previous coach Dean Bailey tended to use James Frawley as his occasional trouble shooter with small forwards while Garlo generally used his closing speed on the lead up forwards. Under Neeld in the early parts of the season those roles were reversed & it was up to Garland to have a go at minding the likes of Stephen Milne & Cyril Rioli. Tasks to which he applied himself as well as anyone could with the ball entering & re-entering the 50 at a million miles an hour. Then as other key defenders emerged, Garland was thrown forward against the Bombers, kicking two crunch goals (it could've/should've been 4 or 5) in a move that got the Dees over the line for their sole victory of 2012. An under rated fixture of the Dees side for the past 5 seasons, it will be interesting to monitor Garland's role progression for the rest of 2012 & beyond. Rating 5/10 - pretty average year but works hard.

Brent Moloney - put simply the 2011 Melbourne B&F has had a stinker. Dropped from the leadership group, lackluster form & his manager spouting ill-timed contract comments have just about made Moloney public enemy number 1 with Melbourne fans. It has clearly been a massive adjustment for Moloney with the coaching upheaval in the past 12 months he has gone from prince to pauper & it has clearly stung his ego. He is also clearly struggling to come to grips with the gameplan and his role in it under Neeld. His best game of the season was playing as a high half forward in the win over the Bombers. Whether he stays or goes the orator of the 2009 B&F 'straight line' speech needs to put his money where his mouth is for the remainder of 2012.

Rating: 1/10 - like Sylvia he's had a shocker. 

Liam Jurrah - another Dee who has had a horror season. Already struggling with the adjustment under new coach Mark Neeld, Jurrah was allegedly involved in a pre season incident in the NT which is now before the courts. Sadly, Jurrah has been unable to lift this black cloud hanging over him with on field exploits as he has been cruelled with injury, managing just one senior game - a nightmare against the Swans. All Demons supporters will be wishing LJ the best of luck & will hope to see him back in the field asap for the rest of 2012 & beyond. 

Rating: NA - it's a horror year but a lot of it has been out of his control.

Tom McDonald - has looked the part in 2012. Playing KPD against some of the competitions best forwards in a team getting ritually slaughtered at the tender age of 19, McDonald could pretty much be excused no matter what performance he turned in, in 2012. But, the kid has been excellent! His disposal could do with a tidy up but he has shown the dogged determination that is essential for quality key defenders. He is courageous & wins a hell of a lot of one-on-ones for such a young & inexperienced player. In a dark year, the club has found a player of the future. 

Rating: 5/10 - has battled well, needs to clean up the disposal.

Dan Nicholson - after a reasonable start to his career in 2011, Nicholson was on the outer at the beginning of 2012. However, he has regained his spot in the past few weeks & his pace & willingness to take the game on have given the Dees the kind of run & carry that was lacking for the first 8 rounds of 2012. Nicholson averages the third most disposals at the club this tear & while he could be a bit more polished with his kicking he has the tools to become a dashing 70m player for the club. Hopefully he can maintain & enhance his form in the second half of the season.

Rating 5/10 - has had a bit of an impact in the few games he's had. 

Jared Rivers - is one of a select few senior Demons to have raised his stocks in 2012. His reading of the play & intercept marking have always been strengths but with improved disposal he looks a far better player than in recent years. He has been used cleverly by Neeld (no QB 2011 gorilla goalsquare maulings for JR this year) & has been allowed to play to his strengths. Like Garland, the influx of KPDs into the Melbourne side has indicated that he may have to move forward for structural reasons. However, Rivers has had a good year & can hold his head high in 2012.

Rating 6/10 - has dropped off slightly over the past few weeks but early season form was excellent.

[Good Times Grimes 2,396]

I'd rate McDonald and Rivers higher. I agree with you on the rest.

[Mydee 288]

fat ass

[jnrmac 20,186]

Sadly, they are good summaries. Well done.

[Guest bluey]

Liam Jurrah - Rating: NA - it's a horror year but a lot of it has been out of his control.

Not sure what part has been out of his control, had every oppurtunity, cost the club a lot of resources for no return, no excuse for the zero fitness levels, and it's not alledged, he has been charged, whether he is guilty or innocent is another matter.

Refer Mr Stringer, Cokesy, Johhno (Geelong) how the situation should have been handled.

[Johnny Karate 559]

Liam Jurrah - Rating: NA - it's a horror year but a lot of it has been out of his control.

Not sure what part has been out of his control, had every oppurtunity, cost the club a lot of resources for no return, no excuse for the zero fitness levels, and it's not alledged, he has been charged, whether he is guilty or innocent is another matter.

Refer Mr Stringer, Cokesy, Johhno (Geelong) how the situation should have been handled.

I was referring more to the wrist/ankle collision injuries being out of his control. Re. The incident - he has plead not guilty, the courts will decide but I think it's apples & oranges compared to the other players you've mentioned.

[jnrmac 20,186]

Liam Jurrah - Rating: NA - it's a horror year but a lot of it has been out of his control.

Not sure what part has been out of his control, had every oppurtunity, cost the club a lot of resources for no return, no excuse for the zero fitness levels, and it's not alledged, he has been charged, whether he is guilty or innocent is another matter.

Refer Mr Stringer, Cokesy, Johhno (Geelong) how the situation should have been handled.

Not the Demonology Bluey is it?? Welcome,,,,,

[beelzebub 23,383]

Probably the less said about Liam currently the better.. Then we will neither become frustrated nor belilgerent towards his situation.. Probably the greatest disappointment of the last few years.. and a shame.

Sadly many of these player reviews are on the money.... all $5.80 of it !!

[Face Your Demons 175]

I want to disagree with everything above, Sadly i can not.

[Dee_Flower 53]

"Petterd had a very good 2010"

No he didn't. Petterd did his shoulder in R6 against North Melbourne and missed the rest of the season.

[Johnny Karate 559]

"Petterd had a very good 2010"

No he didn't. Petterd did his shoulder in R6 against North Melbourne and missed the rest of the season.

Oh really? Never knew that thanks for that info. I thought it was implied that he'd a very good season up to that point. He was averaging 2 goals & 5 marks per game playing effectively as an undersized key forward & was in career best form.

[Lil_red_fire_engine 11,233]

Good summaries overall but I think some of your ratings are to much based on individual expectation rather than out put ie: rating Moloney 1/10 and Magner 6/10 to me is illogical. T-Mac's impact has been more than than Nicholson and I would argue has offered more than Garland who ignoring his forward cameo has been very poor this year.