I'm really impressed with Dom's sheer workrate.

He was also one of the few blocking for the tagged Jones that also made his game all the better.

One particular block (MCC members wing in the second quarter I think) allowed N.Jones to receive the tap down and clearance from Jamar which was delivered inside 50.

He's a 'pure' footballer, I guess meaning that he seems to make all aspects of the game look as though he instinctively knows what to do. They're rare these blokes, and in Tyson, Kennedy-Harris, and I believe Salem, we've picked up three in one year. We know Hogan has that same quality, and I think Toumpas is learning to apply it, and there you have pure 'ball talent' as a nucleus. Add the pure culture setting physicality of Jack Viney, the competitiveness and personality of Max Gawn, and those seven alone will carry the immediate future of this club. Of course we're a way off seeing all seven of them fit and first choice, but when they are, this is going to be a formidable team.

I'm really impressed with Dom's sheer workrate.

He was also one of the few blocking for the tagged Jones that also made his game all the better.

One particular block (MCC members wing in the second quarter I think) allowed N.Jones to receive the tap down and clearance from Jamar which was delivered inside 50.

Yep, I saw that one and commented on it in the game day thread. Those things are very pleasing to see; I realise that if we had scored from that stoppage he wouldn't have taken much of the credit, but it was crucial.

A lot gets said about players being able to shake a tag, well it surely helps when your other big bodied mids (like Dom) stand in the tagger's way every now and again. It doesn't seem like a hard thing to do, and yet we haven't seen a lot of it from our team in recent years. This is what the best midfielders do: play for each other. Awesome to see.

Yep, I saw that one and commented on it in the game day thread. Those things are very pleasing to see; I realise that if we had scored from that stoppage he wouldn't have taken much of the credit, but it was crucial.

A lot gets said about players being able to shake a tag, well it surely helps when your other big bodied mids (like Dom) stand in the tagger's way every now and again. It doesn't seem like a hard thing to do, and yet we haven't seen a lot of it from our team in recent years. This is what the best midfielders do: play for each other. Awesome to see.

And I think you have summed it up here. At long last we are finally seeing our list playing for each other. It is all the small things they do around the ground that mainly go unnoticed. Such as Dom stepping into the path of whoever was tagging N.Jones, or dare I say Nev getting in the face of Williams and Crameri on a particular boundary throw in and getting them out of position. I think we are starting to see the list realize and learn what their roles are, and sometimes their roles will require them to do the 1% things that will not show up on the stats sheet.

I wouldn't mind a few years of gathering evidence on this question.

Yeah. I look forward to either one striving to be better than the other, not in a one upmanship sense but I think they will push each other to greater and greater heights.

He also did something on Saturday night a few times that showed me he is growing in confidence.

Most of our midfielders who grab the ball in the centre throw it on their boot immediately. A couple of times at least Dom opted to run with the ball and drove it deeper to a contest. A much better outcome than a blind kick in hope ( a blind kick in hope is still better than no clearance at all !)

. I couldn't help noticing JKH and to a slightly lesser extent Salem doing this too, especially early in the Crows game. Very poised.

Both look to have what Alan Jeans once (was reputed to have) said when asked what attribute he looks for most in a young player - balance !!

Edited May 13, 201411 yr by monoccular

I love Jack but he is not someone that teams would bother tagging just yet.

He gets the footy from stoppages and off the floor in contests and does a few highlight reel escapes from those situations but if he wants to become the player I know he desperately wants to become - his game is going to have to evolve in a similar way to his Captain.

Jones hurts teams with his link up play and had running to help under pressure defenders and fellow mids.

The start of Viney's career has been promising but he would not be worried about by other teams just yet.

i kind of agree. But his attack on the footy would definitely worry other teams.

Viney will be tagged pretty soon, his attack is going to become devastating for other teams

i kind of agree. But his attack on the footy would definitely worry other teams.

Viney will be tagged pretty soon, his attack is going to become devastating for other teams

No need to tag him at the moment, just go where the ball is and he will be there. He needs to expand his game to be more damaging around play and then if he starts racking up and using touches well the opposition will consider him. A bit more experience and hopefully he will start doing what Haneberry is doing.

No need to tag him at the moment, just go where the ball is and he will be there. He needs to expand his game to be more damaging around play and then if he starts racking up and using touches well the opposition will consider him. A bit more experience and hopefully he will start doing what Haneberry is doing.

the way he played against Adelaide in particular proves to me how damaging he can be.

So for the moment he wont be tagged, but i'd say pretty soon teams will need to be.

Who do you tag though

Tyson, Jones, Vince or Viney?

Vince can be seriously damaging

Tyson almost carried us over the line versus the Dogs... clear BOG

i seriously love this guy.

"Is Dom is Good"

You out there Damien???

if GWS asked for Dom Tyson back in exchange for Josh Kelly id laugh in their face

oh and we got Christian Salem in that trade too LOL

Absolute daylight robbery by the MFC

Cheers GWS, and cheers Damien Maggot

see mitch clark's tweet?

compared him to luke hodge meets simon black.

I can't remember the last time we had a young midfielder who combines talent with hardness, smarts and composure. I don't ever worry when he has the ball.

Love him - think he's great. Go Dees.

I can't remember the last time we had a young midfielder who combines talent with hardness, smarts and composure. I don't ever worry when he has the ball.

I also trust him to win the ball. Doesn't matter if it's inside or out, he puts himself in the right place.

On current output I'd trade pick 2 for Tyson alone. The fact that we ended up with Salem as well is nothing short of exceptional.

So happy.

I also trust him to win the ball. Doesn't matter if it's inside or out, he puts himself in the right place.

On current output I'd trade pick 2 for Tyson alone. The fact that we ended up with Salem as well is nothing short of exceptional.

So happy.

Salem has the potential to be every good as Tyson. He oozes class

He has the all so rare ability to allow the opposition to move around him while he seems to stand still. Watss has it also. Pendulbury is the best at it.

Pendlebury.

The bloke is gonna be a star. Clean, hard, smart and kicks goals. Have we had a midfielder like this recently?

Can I please remind everyone that him, and Viney are only

20 YEARS OLD!

Wow.

Just, wow.

A great decade perhaps looms.

Edited May 17, 201411 yr by The Song Formerly Known As

Guys, it wasn't just Damian Barrett who made a clown of himself about this trade. What about the Herald-Sun's Mr Smug, Sam Edmund? Remember this belter of an article after Round 3? I just tweeted "Slammin Sam" to go and talk to his dumb recruiter mates now and see what they think.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/sport/afl/if-youre-a-melbourne-supporter-look-away-now-demons-draft-bungles-aplenty/story-fni5f91a-1226881324821

Edited May 17, 201411 yr by Glenn Molloy

Seriously one of the worst football articles that has ever been written. I would place a wager the quotes from the article are completely made up. There's no way any recruiter worth his salt would have watched Tyson in 2011 Championships and seen anything but 'class'. Yep, the quotes and these 'unnamed' recruiters aren't real people. I'm sure of it.

Guys, it wasn't just Damian Barrett who made a clown of himself about this trade. What about the Herald-Sun's Mr Smug, Sam Edmund? Remember this belter of an article after Round 3? I just tweeted "Slammin Sam" to go and talk to his dumb recruiter mates now and see what they think.

Sam who???

This was seriously a dumb call by someone I've never heard of and hope never to hear from again. Condemn him to the society pages.

Interesting that Watts-Nic Nat is brought up as blunder. A year ago every man and his ill informed dog (and many an increasingly silly looking dl poster - Ben Hur says hello) was 100% certain we had made a massive, massive blue. And now?

Also its a nice reminder about Wines. He went number 7. We took the Toump at 4. So why are those two players bracketed together? Are the Bullies who had picks 5 and 6 being criticized? Should it not be the Toump v Mcrae/Stringer?

But apart from anything else what the article above pre-supposes is that we got two serviceable players not two stars. What if they both turn out to be stars (as is increasingly looking likely). Would the gob smacked recruiter still be so sure?

The other funny thing is Tyson went no 3 in the 2011 draft (one spot higher than the future brownlow medalist Kelly - which by the by if he is so good why didn't any one have him at number i like O'Meara or Martin?). I don't recall any gob smacked recruiters coming out at the time saying he went too high. So essntailly we got a number 3 pick and a number 9 pick.

Out of interest i wonder where Edmunds industry sources think Tyson would go if he was available in this years draft.

Edited May 17, 201411 yr by binman

Not to mention his magnificent hair!

One thing that I haven't seen mentioned that I liked about his game yesterday was he took a few really good marks. So he is also fairly strong in the air rounding out his game nicely.