Since there was no chance of us winning yesterday I just watched what we were doing off the ball a bit more and Pencil just needs to learn when and where to lead to. J.Riv was helping him out as much as he could.I just love his efforts at the footy. At a one on one contest if he didn't get the ball he was intent to hurt the other bloke which Russian and Stef don't do. The pencil is an angry pencil.

When he first joined the club he was quoted as saying that he chose football over basketball (having played both as a youth) in the end because he likes hurting people. I started salivating when I heard that. 4 or 5 or however many years in he probably doesn't really offer much else other than that; but really if there was one attribute you'd like your developing young ruckman to have, a partiality for hard body contact is probably it.

Let's hope a bit of co-ordination comes late to the party.

he's been bloody awful at Casey too. keep that in mind.

agreed, he's barely been sighted all year, goes missing, 12 months at a time.

Agreed. Spencer has had 2 poor games. He shows 1-2 things all game (vs Tigers, his only play was the tackle he laid on nahas). He is UN-coordinated, and not a smart footballer. Does not present around the ground or demand the ball in kick ins. Marking in a contest is non-existent. Big and raw. Has been for 5 years. Move on at end 2012 finally.

i seriously thought he showed something the last two games. loves being physical and i hope he gets a game next week.

Agreed. Spencer has had 2 poor games. He shows 1-2 things all game (vs Tigers, his only play was the tackle he laid on nahas). He is UN-coordinated, and not a smart footballer. Does not present around the ground or demand the ball in kick ins. Marking in a contest is non-existent. Big and raw. Has been for 5 years. Move on at end 2012 finally.

Nonsense.

Agreed. Spencer has had 2 poor games. He shows 1-2 things all game (vs Tigers, his only play was the tackle he laid on nahas). He is UN-coordinated, and not a smart footballer. Does not present around the ground or demand the ball in kick ins. Marking in a contest is non-existent. Big and raw. Has been for 5 years. Move on at end 2012 finally.

Disagree.

As the game progressed, his physicality showed. He took at least 1 mark on a lead, made several clearances AND we (seemed) to win the clearances when he was rucking. (Martin got more touches but at what cost? he tapped constantly to tigers mids as if they were calling him. FFS)

AND, Ivan Maric had his least effective game for the year. (SC=79 points)

I watched the game with a mate who goes for the Dawks but IMO has a good eye for talent - he had never seen him play before. He reckons Spencil has a touch of young 'Strawbs" O'Dwyer about him and could be a player.

The other person I spoke with a few years ago about Spencil who said he thought might have a future was a former MFC ruckman who won a "Bluey". I rate his opinion of our list.

To me he does look a bit unco at times but at others suggests he could be worth persevering with. The old saying about young talls ....

Hi MD,

Our back up Rucks are a worry. Spencer and also Fitzpatrick are no better. Both liabilities.

FFS, they're a couple of kids, and big kids at that.

Both will improve, and continue to improve, health issues notwithstanding.

There are 2 Tigers players that are very sore after playing against us on Saturday due to Spencer. That puts Spencil in the Elite bracket on our list.

Spencer is a very good tap ruckman and was certainly more competitive than some of our so called leaders on the weekend.

Will never be a big accumulator/AA type.

But Jake can hit to hurt, has pretty good range with his taps, has a good defensive mindset and will develop his presentation around the ground with more match fitness (remember its only his 2nd game in a year). To me he doesn't look massively more unco than Will Minson for example.

He should develop into a decent backup ruck option within the next 24 months if eh stays fit.

Jake got eight possessions and made two tackles playing as a number 2 ruckman, in his 10th AFL game. Jamar averages 9.2 disposals and 1.7 tackles (and has kicked the measly 1 goal) in 12 games this year playing as a number 1 ruckman.

Jake will probably never be a gun AFL ruckman, but we certainly lost nothing on Saturday by having him in the team ahead of Jamar.

I thought Spencer was quite good. As unco as he looks, he gives 100%, tackles hard and competes in the air. He's behind Jamar and Martin but I'm not upset having him as a backup

Please play Jake Spencer again this week.

Please play Jake Spencer again this week.

watched Spencer at Casey

Great game and is close to Afl standard trys his arse off please play him this week

watched Spencer at Casey

Great game and is close to Afl standard trys his arse off please play him this week

with the Russian out again I would hope to see Pencil Start in the ruck with Martin down forward.

apperently killed it at casey yesterday? good on him. should be a straight in for jamar and play the rest of the year, get some games into him and watch him do a full pre season fully fit i could see him becoming an important part for us next year.

Fitzpatrick has much more upside than Spencer. I would like to see Fitz get an extended run in tandem with Martin

watching our local footy I am told over and over that we have a group a kids they are underdeveloped against some of the older bodied sides that we can play 3/4 or even win a game but we are not consistent because theyre only kids AND just when theyve got the body and the systems and the desire for success half the side goes off to uni or to a bigger league where they get paid bigger$$ and dont have hassles getting to training and games.

and yes we have won only a couple have been competitive and have trouble running out games

All sounds familiar

BUT I still see a lot of positives at Melbourne and getting those injured on the park through improved fitness and getting the depth in the squad will happen \

But we do need to recognise that some of our squad are just kids still developing and maybe need exposure to the highset level but may not be able to perform at that level every week.

We did see against the GWS that we match up well as a squad against their kids and I think if we can use the rucks as an example Jamar Spencer Martin Gawn can mix and match injuries aside to play a different style of game suited to the opposition of the day and the level of the player.

MArtin got plenty of hit outs and not to his feet which didnt suit Moloneys game and maybe would have been better with Morton in the side.

Spencer has shown great signs of development does seem to have some intensity and may develop a more rounded game of hit out for the stoppages. Keep trying him at the higher levels but also let him work with confidence againbst his peers rather than sacrifice him against opponents who will exploit his weaknesses and maybe destroy confidence.

i spent years bagging Bate and Miller, listening to the experts with their 'give him a go' the faith was repaid with them wasnt it

if spencer ever plays a good game i will streak nude at the G

you are going to start getting nervous soon, I think..

With Jamar out for another protracted period of time this isagreat opportunity for Stef and Jake to learn to work as a pair, they were rusty against Brisbane but against the Tigers they competed and Stef fought hard against Freo and showed some good things.

With Jamar out for another protracted period of time this isagreat opportunity for Stef and Jake to learn to work as a pair, they were rusty against Brisbane but against the Tigers they competed and Stef fought hard against Freo and showed some good things.

Good luck Jake! Tear 'em a new one.

Well I just traded out that spud Kreuzer from my Dreamteam for big Jake and banked $200K in the process so I hope he continues to improve.

On ya big Spence, hope you really put in a big one tomorrow.

Not sure that Big Jake has it however it is fair to say he is 7 - 8 games into a season that did not start till six weeks after everyone else.

I am cutting him a little slack, not easy to fire up after being out a full year with a knee reconstruction.

Give them hell up north son.