Best first year player

[RalphiusMaximus 5,993]

Terlich for mine, simply because he's been in the team the whole year and been pretty solid.

Matt Jones has been consistent and performed pretty well, but just hasn't been noticed as much (is that a good thing?)

Viney has shown more ability than any of them but has not been in the side all that much.

Kent has shown flashes and I think he'll be very good, but there is a lot of work to do to get there.

[Hannibal 5,814]

Let me say I've never seen a more kamikaze or desperate display by a Melbourne footballer on the weekend than Jack Viney. His leaping over opponents to try and get his hands on the footy almost defied belief. Even earlier in the year he wasn't as manic.

He was making a statement to the footy world and his teammates. Those that said he'd be a culture changer weren't wrong.

Will he win the best first year player award ? Dunno. And don't give a ****.

[Ted Lasso 16,922]

jack viney will be the best player of the 2012 draft by a long way imo

[Curry & Beer 5,444]

jack viney will be the best player of the 2012 draft by a long way imo

i've seen plenty of highly rated draftees come out of the blocks well at the MFC

have not seen a single one this century go on to be a genuine league elite. We have had 6 drafts in a row of getting premium selections and we have failed thus far to turn any of them into the 'real deal'

sadly I can't help but wonder why it will be any different for JV

[Ted Lasso 16,922]

i've seen plenty of highly rated draftees come out of the blocks well at the MFC

have not seen a single one this century go on to be a genuine league elite. We have had 6 drafts in a row of getting premium selections and we have failed thus far to turn any of them into the 'real deal'

sadly I can't help but wonder why it will be any different for JV

Did you ever see Jack trengove, Tom Scully, Jack Watts or Cale Morton attacking the ball like Jack viney does? i can't remember any of them having the sort of influence on a game even now that Jack Viney is already having.

I have a little bit of faith that Viney, Toumpas and Hogan will be a totally different story for us.

Edited August 21, 2013 by Demonfan26

[Curry & Beer 5,444]

Did you ever see Jack trengove, Tom Scully, Jack Watts or Cale Morton attacking the ball like Jack viney does? i can't remember any of them having the sort of influence on a game even now that Jack Viney is already having.

I have a little bit of faith that Viney, Toumpas and Hogan will be a totally different story for us.

Hogan in the mix certainly helps. One pitbull quality midfielder winning the ball from stoppages and a freak full forward slotting them consistently could go a long way to changing the group mindset.. here's hoping.. and praying.

[Deespicable 2,553]

i've seen plenty of highly rated draftees come out of the blocks well at the MFC

have not seen a single one this century go on to be a genuine league elite. We have had 6 drafts in a row of getting premium selections and we have failed thus far to turn any of them into the 'real deal'

sadly I can't help but wonder why it will be any different for JV

The difference is that we did not draft Jack Viney - he was father-son, so we did not have to choose him against other players.

If he hadn't been father-son, he would have probably gone to GWS with pick 2 or 3. Not sure if you are aware but we had to do a deal with GWS and Suns to make sure they didn't nominate him, thereby forcing us to use pick 4 on him.

Jack Viney is the closest thing to Joel Selwood we could get - the only way he can fail to be a star is if someone tries to change his style of play.

[Ted Lasso 16,922]

The difference is that we did not draft Jack Viney - he was father-son, so we did not have to choose him against other players.

If he hadn't been father-son, he would have probably gone to GWS with pick 2 or 3. Not sure if you are aware but we had to do a deal with GWS and Suns to make sure they didn't nominate him, thereby forcing us to use pick 4 on him.

Jack Viney is the closest thing to Joel Selwood we could get - the only way he can fail to be a star is if someone tries to change his style of play.

I am firm in the belief that we also had a deal with them not to take Jimmy Toumpas at 2 like they had planned on doing the entire year leading up to the week of the draft when they suddenly decided Plowman and O'rourke were better options even though every recruiter in Australia rated them lower, although not really the point.

[Maldonboy38 5,951]

Viney is the best footballer of the new crop. But don't discount Toumpas after a full preseason either.

But the battle for best first year player is between Terlich and Matt Jones. I give it to Jones because

- he has better awareness than Terlich who continually turns back into trouble

- although I don't have stats to hand, Terlich's disposal efficiency feels like it would be hovering around 50% at best

M Jones for best 1st year player.

[Curry & Beer 5,444]

The difference is that we did not draft Jack Viney - he was father-son, so we did not have to choose him against other players.

If he hadn't been father-son, he would have probably gone to GWS with pick 2 or 3. Not sure if you are aware but we had to do a deal with GWS and Suns to make sure they didn't nominate him, thereby forcing us to use pick 4 on him.

Jack Viney is the closest thing to Joel Selwood we could get - the only way he can fail to be a star is if someone tries to change his style of play.

oh I really CBF getting into it AGAIN but every single other one of those non father-son picks was highly rated by absolutely everybody and taken at the pick they were supposed to be taken at. Anybody who thinks we made some sort of error in the selection process is just a straight out FOOL. Seriously. Think about it, it makes zero sense. Yeah OK maybe we should have taken NikNat instead of Watts, do you think Watts would have gone a single pick later than pick 2 for WC, absolutely no way. Do you think JW would be the same limp-wristed disappointment at WCE I somehow doubt it. The problem is OBVIOUSLY that the machine that is the MFC is incapable of producing star players for a variety of reasons. Unfortunately, the promising young talent that is Jack Viney has the rotten luck of developing his career in this most dysfunctional machine of ours. To that end, it is very difficult for me to swallow all these 'superstar' predictions because the facts are that we have ZERO runs on the board for making this sort of prediction.

I had to edit, cos the 'I' word was censored. That's right, the 'I' word. WTF is this, sesame street?

Edited August 21, 2013 by Curry & Beer

[Webber 10,176]

Clisby has some mongrel....I'm a fan. Kent is big hipped WA left footer....quickly becoming my fave.

Kent is very promising. He did one thing on Sunday that sold it for me. He chased an opponent from inside our 50 to the wing, wasn't going to run him down, but didn't drop his intensity, and ultimately gave him a bit of body after he'd disposed, just to justify the chase and make his opponent earn the possession. I sat there wondering if I'd ever seen Jack Watts do that. And sat, and wondered.........and sat.......and wondered.......

[Red N Blue Society 165]

Terlich easily IMO.

[pm24 451]

Terlich for mine. Has been consistent across the entire year, while matt jones has also been very solid. If Viney had played more games, then he could have challenged, but injuries stopped that.

[La Dee-vina Comedia 16,497]

Jack Viney's game against Freo on Sunday was the best performance in a single game by a first year player for Melbourne that I can remember. Let's hope that's the standard that he will continue to deliver and that our new recruits and older players get infected with the same desire and enthusiasm.

Having said that, in answer to the opening post I can't split Jones and Terlich. Both have some weaknesses but both have been worthy additions to the team. Viney misses my nod solely because of the number of games missed.

[Nasher 33,133]

Interesting stat on Viney: % of ground time per game for this season. Against Freo, he spent more time on the ground than he ever had before, recording 82%, with his previous highest against GWS in round 9 where he clocked up 77%. His median is 76%.

Compare this to senior midfielders:

Nathan Jones: minimum 82% (equal to Viney's highest!), median 87%, maximum 92% (against Freo).

Colin Sylvia: minimum 73%, median 87%, maximum 96%

Matt Jones (who I loosely classify as senior): minimum 54%, median 80%, maximum 96%. As a side note, this makes it obvious why he was recruited: ready made midfielder.

Jack Grimes: minimum (excluding when he was injured in the first quarter against Carlton): 78%, median 83%, maximum 94%.

In summary, the *most* amount of time Viney has spent on the ground is less than the *least* of some of the senior mids, and well less than the median for all of the senior mids I looked at. Bottom line is that he's clearly still being treated as a kid or a second string midfielder - and rightfully so - but it puts his performance in to perspective.

What's he going to be like when he's got the tank to run through the midfield full time?

[Webber 10,176]

Interesting stat on Viney: % of ground time per game for this season. Against Freo, he spent more time on the ground than he ever had before, recording 82%, with his previous highest against GWS in round 9 where he clocked up 77%. His median is 76%. Compare this to senior midfielders:Nathan Jones: minimum 82% (equal to Viney's highest!), median 87%, maximum 92% (against Freo). Colin Sylvia: minimum 73%, median 87%, maximum 96%Matt Jones (who I loosely classify as senior): minimum 54%, median 80%, maximum 96%. As a side note, this makes it obvious why he was recruited: ready made midfielder.Jack Grimes: minimum (excluding when he was injured in the first quarter against Carlton): 78%, median 83%, maximum 94%. In summary, the *most* amount of time Viney has spent on the ground is less than the *least* of some of the senior mids, and well less than the median for all of the senior mids I looked at. Bottom line is that he's clearly still being treated as a kid or a second string midfielder - and rightfully so - but it puts his performance in to perspective. What's he going to be like when he's got the tank to run through the midfield full time?

Really bloody good!

[Curry & Beer 5,444]

What's he going to be like when he's got the tank to run through the midfield full time?

and by then he'll be bigger and stronger and more experienced too, should be a complete animal

currently ranked #1 amongst rising stars for clearances and cont. poss. per match - the two most important stats there are for mine

[Gippsland Dee 367]

if Viney didn't get injured early in the year i probably would've said him, but Terlich takes it out for me. Very good debut season.

[spirit of norm smith 13,137]

Thank you Todd Viney ... all 4 players have shown they will be very good (+ Mitch Clisby)

SORRY Jack Viney WILL BE a star

[Demon_Tingles 211]

Dean Terlich for mine has been consistent in a woeful side all season.

Although Dean Kent is a favourite of mine I love watching him play and I think given a couple more pre seasons will become a very good player. I don't use the word star as it is used far too commonly on this site.

[DemonFrog 1,347]

Dean Terlich for mine has been consistent in a woeful side all season.

Although Dean Kent is a favourite of mine I love watching him play and I think given a couple more pre seasons will become a very good player. I don't use the word star as it is used far too commonly on this site.

The word STAR is so 2012.

It now LEGEND.

Who can forget the MFC 2913 team. These guys will be famous for years to come.

[CBDees 3,162]

The reality Demonlanders is that we have secured four players (five including Clisby) who geniunely have a dip and will continue to improve. As they have had different game time during the year, it is a bit unfair to merely rank them first pass the post without going 1,2, 3 and 4. It was good recuiting [compensating for the trade period fiascos] and gives us a good basis to start 2014.

[Curry & Beer 5,444]

The reality Demonlanders is that we have secured four players (five including Clisby) who geniunely have a dip and will continue to improve.

six including Hogan, then there is Toumpas and Barry. Also got Dawes this year.

looks to have been a balltearer of a drafting/recruiting period at this stage, you have to give credit to Neeld for what role he played in that.

[Deeoldfart 7,791]

Jack Viney by the length of the straight. He already plays like a seasoned midfielder and it's hard to believe that he's only 19 with a handful of senior games to his credit. He's already taken over the mantle as clearly our #2 midfielder, and imo would be getting game-time in most, if not all other teams. In 3 or 4 years I expect him to be influencing games a la Joel Selwood. While Terlich and M. Jones have been serviceable for us, I doubt that they would be playing regular seniors for most other teams. Kent has had a solid debut season and might turn out to be good (or even very good), but at this point he is a long, long way behind Viney imo,

Edited August 22, 2013 by Deeoldfart

[P-man 13,224]

Jack Viney by the length of the straight. He already plays like a seasoned midfielder and it's hard to believe that he's only 19 with a handful of senior games to his credit. He's already taken over the mantle as clearly our #2 midfielder, and imo would be getting game-time in most, if not all other teams. In 3 or 4 years I expect him to be influencing games a la Joel Selwood. While Terlich and M. Jones have been serviceable for us, I doubt that they would be playing regular seniors for most other teams. Kent has had a solid debut season and might turn out to be good (or even very good), but at this point he is a long, long way behind Viney imo,

Exactly. I think Viney is being held to a different standard in this poll because of the expectation surrounding him. Terlich has exceeded expectation no doubt and had a fairly consistent year not withstanding the question marks over him one-on-one, whilst M Jones has been serviceable but is a stop gap player if we're being honest.

Viney has proven you can build a team around him. Leads all first year players in the LEAGUE for average clearances and contested possessions per game. Easily Viney for mine.