WELCOME TO THE MELBOURNE FOOTBALL CLUB - AIDAN RILEY

[Little Goffy 14,794]

Cale Morton's facial expression, Jordan Gysberts' posture, Matthew Bate's freckles. This kid has already delivered as much as three first-round draft picks. Well done Melbourne Football Club!

[RickyJ45 417]

hes probably a mix between Jordie and Magner....sometimes its good to limit our expectations

[Moonshadow 17,678]

With a only handful of games and a broken leg, he's luckier than a dog with two d*cks to get picked up again.

(apologies to Bill Clinton)

[Norm Smith's Curse 2,602]

My wish is for him to replace McKenzie as a tagger.

u don't think nicho can tag?

[olisik 4,060]

Cale Morton's facial expression, Jordan Gysberts' posture, Matthew Bate's freckles. This kid has already delivered as much as three first-round draft picks. Well done Melbourne Football Club!

Have we found our new whipping boy?

[Steve13 457]

We are all too aware of the trauma a broken leg can bring, hope the kid is the next Barlow not the next Blease.

[DeeSpencer 26,496]

u don't think nicho can tag?

Might be easier to find people who think Nicho can tag.

Tagging obviously involves a tremendous physical ability, you have to have the top line fitness and work ethic to run stride for stride with the elite midfielders and the speed to match it with them some what (although depending on opponent speed is not nearly as important).

But you also have to have the footy smarts to be able to read the play, to have very good physical strength (if tagging a strong inside player) and courage.

Nicholson fits the first categories but is a mile off in the second categories.

[jabberwocky 2,301]

On the Adelaide board at bigfooty there is a popular school of thought that this guy was delisted with plans to have him rookied as he recovers.

The Dees may have thrown a spanner in the works by offering a spot on thier primary list.

[Dees2014 2,377]

A clearance machine?

I know most of you have been traumatised by Neeld, but please stop lauding every Roos pick a champion.

I don't think people are actually. What stands out for me though is that there is a clear theme in Roos actions ie identify clear weaknesses and plug them. Our weaknesses clearly relate to a hard running mid field and hardness around the ball. Michie, Cross, Vince and this bloke are all the hardness at the ball types. Roos will drum into everybody the hard running part.

These guys are not necessarily champions, but as long as they are good servants of Roos gameplan and add aspects to our skill base I think that is all we can ask. Roos is clearly very focused on getting a real hardness into our midfield - and wouldnt that be a wonderful change. I'm sure Nathan Jones won't be able to get the smile off his face.

[angrydee 842]

At 182cm and 86 kg, I don't think he needs to add any more size.

[Carrot Top 947]

A clearance machine?

I know most of you have been traumatised by Neeld, but please stop lauding every Roos pick a champion.

Why? Do you get extra points for being right? Do you get to stand up to thundering applause at the end of the year as you proclaim "I told them to keep a lid on it"

Man, if I can't dream in November then I'm walking away from this sad club, because November dreams are as close as I get from footy joy these days.

You don't want to play make believe, then don't. But don't [censored] on the rest of us because we do.

[What 18,810]

can safely say nobody saw this one coming

[jumbo returns 6,741]

Why? Do you get extra points for being right? Do you get to stand up to thundering applause at the end of the year as you proclaim "I told them to keep a lid on it"

Man, if I can't dream in November then I'm walking away from this sad club, because November dreams are as close as I get from footy joy these days.

You don't want to play make believe, then don't. But don't [censored] on the rest of us because we do.

You can get excited as you like, if that's what you need to do.

Roos has recruited midfielders....hardly earth shattering stuff.

I just want to see how these picks unfold before I applaud him.

I'd love to play make believe, but I've been stung too often back to reality.

[Fitz Fitzpatrick 886]

A clearance machine?

I know most of you have been traumatised by Neeld, but please stop lauding every Roos pick a champion.

Yep, it's getting a bit cringe worthy

[monoccular 17,699]

The highlights were interesting. His kicking is a bit up and under, but he does seem to know where to put the ball at least. Far more interesting were his second efforts. It shows him repeatedly disposing of the ball and then running on to create options again, in one case picking up the spillage from his own kick further downfield. I suspect it is that more than anything which would make him attractive to our coaching department. He'll need to put in some work on the weights to get the bulk he needs to play that way in the AFL though.

How un-Melbourne like! Things are changing.

[monoccular 17,699]

can safely say nobody saw this one coming

h_h - are you actually a Mark Neeld alias ?

[dazzledavey36 55,992]

So what does this mean in regards to draft picks in the national draft?? Do we still have 3 live picks?

[P-man 13,367]

Knowing nothing of this kid, I can only say I like the write ups on him. Seems a worthy punt.

Interesting to note it's yet another "clearance machine". Along with Michie, Tyson, Cross... who actually are the outside runners in 2014? Hopefully not too much onus on Watts, the makeshift midfielder. Time will tell.

[Maldonboy38 6,420]

It is a very different looking midfield from last year and there will definitely be pressure on every position. The in-an-unders, the quick-hands, the outside-runners, the tackler-taggers - we now have multiple options in each of these categories. Probably only N Jones and Tyson are walk up starts. Possibly Watts and Trengove.

But I agree with Jumbo Returns above - there are no runs on the board at all yet. We can see a recruiting strategy emerging, but both Bailey and Neeld also had a recruiting strategy and they both took us nowhere. We have a very different looking spread of midfield players but we haven't seen most of them at training, haven't seen a practice match, and haven't seen them in a game yet.

Riley is the N Jones type of player Roos loves: McKenzie, Nicholson, Terlich, Jetta are in a similar mold but not all of them can get a game - these players have physical aggression and a dogged spirit. Don't be surprised to see Riley cement a place in the 22 once his leg is healed.

[Bingo 305]

Here's a link showing his tackle on Brad Ottens. Fast forward to around the 50s mark.

Certainly loves the rough stuff.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxUVGacFx1Q

[monoccular 17,699]

Here's a link showing his tackle on Brad Ottens. Fast forward to around the 50s mark.

Certainly loves the rough stuff.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxUVGacFx1Q

Oooomphhhhh....leaves me gasping for breath.

Footnote: knowing the AFL with the Trengove / Dangerfield precedent, they will suddenly deem that to be a charge!!!!!

[old55 23,848]

Welcome Aidan. I imagine Kelly O'Donnell is responsible for identifying these mature players and he had some success last year with M.Jones, Terlich and Clisby.

We've got a lot of midfield soldiers on the edge of the best 22 now - McKenzie, Nicholson, Evans, Kent, Tapscott, Jetta, Bail, M.Jones now add Michie and Riley.

I'd be more keen on some X-factor and a KPB. Maybe we can get some at 40 or the RD or maybe there just there isn't any this year.

[Its Time for Another 4,306]

We are all too aware of the trauma a broken leg can bring, hope the kid is the next Barlow not the next Blease.

Was it a leg or an ankle. I did an ankle at 27 and never really recovered to this day. Whereas a lower leg has a much better chance of a full recovery and a lot quicker than an ankle.

[CBDees 3,167]

Oooomphhhhh....leaves me gasping for breath.

Footnote: knowing the AFL with the Trengove / Dangerfield precedent, they will suddenly deem that to be a charge!!!!!

If it leaves you gasping for breath you can imagine how Ottens felt! Welcome Aidan!

[beelzebub 23,390]

Here's a link showing his tackle on Brad Ottens. Fast forward to around the 50s mark.

Certainly loves the rough stuff.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oxUVGacFx1Q

yep...got Gysberts written all over him ......