I think we are starting to see the rise of the Toump. If you look at the picture of him on the Melbourne Website, his frame is already starting to look stronger and has been a stand out at training.

I reckon this year we are going to start to see what the Toump is made of and how come we so confidently took him over Wines.

Absolutely cannot wait for this!

The reports have been nothing but positive for young Toump! If he plays well this year I can see a cult like following of the mighty Toump!

Been reading that he is one of the louder players at training and is definitely leading by example and setting the right standard. I hope he has been strapping himself to Daniel Cross and sucking off as much information as possible!

Umm....^^.

Let's see how he goes on game day.

Sadly it's the same expectation placed on most high draft picks.....All these kids need time to settle and find confidence in themselves and their placing in the team......I know we all want them to be absolute stars from the get go but they are just kids.....

I really don't like the comparisons between Toumpas and Wines. They are entirely different players and it made sense in taking Toumpas when the time arose at last year's draft. He was best available and was of a type we sorely lacked.

Now that the Toump is recovered fully from his hip operations, we can expect big things from him and I look forward to a big year from him.

Umm....^^.

Let's see how he goes on game day.

Hence why I said he should strap himself to Cross and soak up information and good habits because for him to be a good player he needs to learn from guys like Cross who is one of the ultimate professionals.

I agree Dd. It would be a good move for him. I found your choice of language a tad unorthodox.

The reports have been nothing but positive for young Toump! If he plays well this year I can see a cult like following of the mighty Toump!

Been reading that he is one of the louder players at training and is definitely leading by example and setting the right standard. I hope he has been strapping himself to Daniel Cross and sucking off as much information as possible!

Watched the R23 match against the Dogs last night. Great game (bar our 2nd qtr brainfart).

Anyways Toumps was manned against Cross most of the match. Cross really showed Toumps how to play as an outside mid that day.

Very excited about his development and what he can be taught from Cross now he's on our team.

Watched the R23 match against the Dogs last night. Great game (bar our 2nd qtr brainfart).

Anyways Toumps was manned against Cross most of the match. Cross really showed Toumps how to play as an outside mid that day.

Very excited about his development and what he can be taught from Cross now he's on our team.

Perhaps they knew something even then when they decided to match him up with Cross?

Perhaps they knew something even then when they decided to match him up with Cross?

I saw it the other way. Cross was definitely not just playing a normal farewell game that day, he was busting a gut to try and impress suitors for a new contract and no one more than us.

Anyway my days of dreaming that top drafts picks will become stars are over. But I do still expect Toumpas to make an above average AFL midfielder capable of racking up disposals and using the ball very well. Training signs so far indicate his body is better prepared and that his worst football should be better in 2014, which means he can hold his spot in the team by being improved defensively and more physical around contests. That sounds like a good start to me.

I really don't like the comparisons between Toumpas and Wines. They are entirely different players and it made sense in taking Toumpas when the time arose at last year's draft. He was best available and was of a type we sorely lacked.

Now that the Toump is recovered fully from his hip operations, we can expect big things from him and I look forward to a big year from him.

i dont think it's the comparison about them.. i think it's just the comparison that we could have taken Wines over Toumpas as he would have more effect.

It's more a comparison about taking the players themselves, rather then comparing their strengths

If we had Wines last year we would not have won any more games.

I don't see Wines actually having that much upside in him.

He's never going to get faster, unlikely to get more skilled.

Thumper will be the master of spread and uncontested football.

Just gotta hope he continues to get harder and win his own footy.

I'm confident he'll be a valuable contributor for the next decade.

LOL at the posters downplaying the dominant debut year that Ollie Wines had.

Shame on you lot.

I don't see Wines actually having that much upside in him.

He's never going to get faster, unlikely to get more skilled.

Thumper will be the master of spread and uncontested football.

Just gotta hope he continues to get harder and win his own footy.

I'm confident he'll be a valuable contributor for the next decade.

I disagree I reckon he will be a star. His game against Collingwood in that final was very impressive for an 18 year old. kicked 2 crucial goals and looked like a 150 game player that night.

His attack on the ball is Joel Selwood like and I love watching him go about his business. I reckon he will have the same impact as what Scott Thompson has had to his career.

Will be an absolute gun.

But in saying that I am also a fan of Toump and think he too will be a gun player. I reckon we will see a completely different player next year and more burst and explosiveness from him that he showed in the SANFL.

Future leader in the making and has enormous upside and improvement. At the start of this year he was pretty timid but as the year got on I notice he was going in harder for the ball and making some crunching tackles so he will defiantly improve that aspect of his game. Was only a confidence thing.

LOL at the posters downplaying the dominant debut year that Ollie Wines had.

Shame on you lot.

I'd step over my grandmother to have him playing for us.

Wrapped that Toump is a standout at training. Let's we how he goes on game day before announcing the start of his rise.

I still don't think Wines will get much better than he already is.

Where is the improvement going to come from?

He can't get much bigger or stronger.

LOL at the posters downplaying the dominant debut year that Ollie Wines had.

Shame on you lot.

Who has done that?

Action shot of the Toump i took yesterday.

He was looking very very good and his kicking is always in the Ron Burgundy mould....classy.

LOL at the posters downplaying the dominant debut year that Ollie Wines had.

Shame on you lot.

OMG - haven't we done the Wines vs Toump thing to death? OW was in a successful midfield in a successful team in 2013; JT was in one of the worst performed teams in the history of our game. There is no way one can reasonably compare them.

I am very happy to see how he develops now that he has a few mature midfield mentors around him, and a coach with a plan and who treats his players professionally.

But....OMG again - I forgot that in another thread someone says they knew of someone who overheard someone who said something in a pub somewhere that he was somewhat soft, so it is all settled then. We clearly picked the wrong man. [slashes wrists]

Machsy the kid is only 19 years old of course there is plenty of improvement left in him. He will only get better and the whole AFL know that. He doesn't need to get bigger but he still get a hell of a lot stronger. In fact saw a recent pic of him in Dubai and he is looking seriously fit and slimmed right down so he you would expect to have added some pace aswell.

Were you also saying Joel Selwood and Dustin Martin couldn't improve after their first years?

Way off the mark there with that comment.

Wines will be a first rate player. Possibly elite.

Toumpas is less predictable because his first year gave us very little information. Seeing him get a good preseason underway, and showing signs of improved conditioning already, reminds us that in 2013 he was well out of luck on that count.

For those who either saw him play or simply read the glowing reports on him from under-18s (I recall many phantom drafts, amateur and pro, saying "Demon's would be thrilled if Toumpas falls this far, and they would have to take him, despite their interest in a number of other players") I imagine there's an edge of optimism about Toumpas being a forgotten-man bonus for us in 2014, naturally shadowed by MFCSS.

The reports have been nothing but positive for young Toump! If he plays well this year I can see a cult like following of the mighty Toump!

Been reading that he is one of the louder players at training and is definitely leading by example and setting the right standard. I hope he has been strapping himself to Daniel Cross and sucking off as much information as possible!

Good lord! Is that how they do team bonding these days? Whatever floats your boat, I guess.

Didn't realise how bad I worded that.. yikes.

Ps anyone having trouble with the quote button..??

Didn't realise how bad I worded that.. yikes.

Ps anyone having trouble with the quote button..??

I did when my computer at work upgraded to Internet Explorer 11 so I got rid of it and went back to Internet Explorer 10 and all was good. If you need to do this you can google how to do it, it's not hard, if you know what you're doing.