2 hours ago, hemingway said:

Astounded over the negativity associated with Gus and for that matter the team. Injuries and/or concussion problems aside Gus is a natural instinctive footballer with the skills and the smarts to be a very good player for the MFC.  

Agree.... there certainly should be no negativity directed towards the junior players on our list. In Brayshaw's case he has the ability to be a solid if not better contributor for many years. Let's hope he achieves it.

The negativity should be saved for the wasted years which have left our senior ranks so bereft of talent

It was his first game back from a long layoff, on a fast Etihad deck and we got beaten comfortably and i thought he was pretty good all things considered, 

can't understand the negativity, Gus is one of the few players in recent years we don't have to worry about.

The more games our young core gets together the better they'll get, and Injuries have made it impossible to get a consistent run of games into most of them for the last couple of years, had we been able to, i personally think we'd be 3 wins better off this season.

I would hope that the negativity relating to Brayshaw was only due to the immediate disappointment of losing the game. His two changers were horrendous but were more an indication that he hadn't quite made the full mental transition from VFL to AFL.

He, along with Oliver, are two of the most natural, fast thinking footballers on our list.  Gus in the guts for 2017-2030 will be huge for the MFC.

On a side note, the soft drink he was having strikes me as very strange. I suppose I was under the impression that the players were very regimented in what they ate/drank. 4 kg of soft drink weight sound like something I'd be lugging around.

Was surprised to see one MFC player eating a meat pie at the match on Sunday, while another ate a box of hot chips. No doubt this is some new 'sport science' approved approach to rehab... But it was very strange to see.

30 minutes ago, TeamPlayedFine39 said:

Was surprised to see one MFC player eating a meat pie at the match on Sunday, while another ate a box of hot chips. No doubt this is some new 'sport science' approved approach to rehab... But it was very strange to see.

You're mad if you think AFL players eat and live to a diet 7 days a week throughout the whole of the AFL football season.

9 minutes ago, juzzk1d said:

You're mad if you think AFL players eat and live to a diet 7 days a week throughout the whole of the AFL football season.

The disciplined and successful ones do exactly that.

I personally thought Gus was great last week. For someone who hadn't played AFL in 3 months, he certainly didn't struggle to find the footy. The 2 times he got run down were frustrating but that is just awareness that will come with experience 

2 hours ago, DemonLad5 said:

I personally thought Gus was great last week. For someone who hadn't played AFL in 3 months, he certainly didn't struggle to find the footy. The 2 times he got run down were frustrating but that is just awareness that will come with experience 

And also with teammates not handballing to him under pressure 

Massive overreaction to perceived negativity, when the only question was whether he should have been chosen over more deserving players who had more game time in previous weeks.

3 hours ago, DemonAndrew said:

The disciplined and successful ones do exactly that.

Like grimes? I get what you're saying but as long as the eating and drinking habits are very much above average, I don't think it's an issue to be bulldozing through a meat pie or hot chips every now and then.

On ‎7‎/‎19‎/‎2016 at 8:47 AM, ProDee said:

Brayshaw is a Rolls Royce and I feel for supporters that don't have the ability to see class when it's smacking them in the face.  Someone is even insinuating he's slow.  Good God.

This 20 year old 25 game player will be an emerging star of the game when he's played 100 games and is 24.  He has genuine talent in close, can break away on smart angles and use it superbly off both feet.  He's exceptionally tough and good overhead.  He's everything you want in a midfielder.  Until a player has 30 games under their belt they're really just feeling their way, but some of the things this guy does at his age smacks of a future star.

He, Viney and Oliver will all be better players than Nathan Jones, so the platform for a strong midfield is well and truly in place.  

I usually find myself nodding along in agreement with the majority of your posts PD but this one got me thinking.

My earliest memories of watching the Dees are the early 90's and in that time Jones is probably the equal best midfielder I've seen, along with Todd Viney. Both had their weaknesses, both B+ players, but for consistency of performance they're my best two. Johnstone had them covered by a mile for talent but mixed the sublime with the totally ineffectual, Woewodin, McDonald and Moloney had one standout season but were largely solid and capable foot soldiers, and Leoncelli and Tingay I loved and were honest as the day is long, but never quite made the step up to elite that might have led to us winning a flag in that exciting mid-late 90's era. In more recent years we've pinned our hopes on Trengove, Sylvia, McLean, Morton, Scully and even Gysberts who all showed plenty early doors but none of whom, for various reasons, came even close to fulfilling their potential at the club.

I'm just wary of declaring that those three you mentioned, after 25, 64 and 10 games respectively will all be better players than our best (arguably) midfielder of the past 25 years. Of course the fact that Jones, despite being a heart and soul player who gives his all every week, holds this title is an indictment on the recruiting, development and culture of the club, and that the wheel is slowly turning in this regard. No argument there. But they've all got a hell of a lot of hard work to do to get the most out of themselves like Jones has done and to play for a decade at the level he has. One thing they will have is quality midfield help, which Jones hasn't for the vast majority of his career. They've all shown terrific potential, really exciting potential, but I'm not quite as bullish as you just yet. There have been too many cautionary tales!

3 hours ago, DemonAndrew said:

The disciplined and successful ones do exactly that.

So.. what you're saying is. The disciplined and successful AFL players don't touch ANY junk food/beer for the whole of the AFL season?

You've got no idea....

 

11 minutes ago, Members' Wing said:

I usually find myself nodding along in agreement with the majority of your posts PD but this one got me thinking.

My earliest memories of watching the Dees are the early 90's and in that time Jones is probably the equal best midfielder I've seen, along with Todd Viney. Both had their weaknesses, both B+ players, but for consistency of performance they're my best two. Johnstone had them covered by a mile for talent but mixed the sublime with the totally ineffectual, Woewodin, McDonald and Moloney had one standout season but were largely solid and capable foot soldiers, and Leoncelli and Tingay I loved and were honest as the day is long, but never quite made the step up to elite that might have led to us winning a flag in that exciting mid-late 90's era. In more recent years we've pinned our hopes on Trengove, Sylvia, McLean, Morton, Scully and even Gysberts who all showed plenty early doors but none of whom, for various reasons, came even close to fulfilling their potential at the club.

I'm just wary of declaring that those three you mentioned, after 25, 64 and 10 games respectively will all be better players than our best (arguably) midfielder of the past 25 years. Of course the fact that Jones, despite being a heart and soul player who gives his all every week, holds this title is an indictment on the recruiting, development and culture of the club, and that the wheel is slowly turning in this regard. No argument there. But they've all got a hell of a lot of hard work to do to get the most out of themselves like Jones has done and to play for a decade at the level he has. One thing they will have is quality midfield help, which Jones hasn't for the vast majority of his career. They've all shown terrific potential, really exciting potential, but I'm not quite as bullish as you just yet. There have been too many cautionary tales!

Excellent summation, Wing.

The dearth of our midfield talent (and I use the word loosely) over the last 40 years has been extraordinary.  Outside of Flower, the best midfielder I've seen at Melbourne is Greg Wells (it's a travesty Todd Viney made TOC ahead of him - political reasons imo).

I have to be honest and say that I don't overly rate Jones as a player.  I have tremendous respect for him and he's as honest as the day is long, but for me it's certainly not a stretch to think that Brayshaw, Oliver and Viney will be better.  Our dearth of talent these past 40 years can skew this view, because it seems unlikely that 3 starting off at virtually the same time will be better than one of our best, but it's such a shallow pool we have to use as a comparison that it's far from pie in the sky from my vantage point.

Scott Thompson has been A-grade and better than Jones, it's just a pity we couldn't retain him. 

I've seen enough of this young triumvirate to confidently predict they'll be a rung or two higher than our current skipper.  I wouldn't heatedly debate anyone who disagreed, it's just a considered opinion. 

31 minutes ago, juzzk1d said:

So.. what you're saying is. The disciplined and successful AFL players don't touch ANY junk food/beer for the whole of the AFL season?

You've got no idea....

 

I am sure that Carey, Lockett, Diesel,  Buddy etc etc  all stuck to the perfect diet all season long without fail.

And I am especially certain that Wayne Carey would have NEVER touched a beer during the season. He just doesnt seem like that kind of guy!

Not sure about anyone else, but I'd really love to see a couple of games this year that has Brayshaw, Petracca, Oliver, Tyson, Viney, Salem, ANB (who I rate) and Stretch in the same team, especially if Jones and Vince are playing in it too.

The perfect games would be vs Carlton and Geelong.

17 minutes ago, billy2803 said:

Not sure about anyone else, but I'd really love to see a couple of games this year that has Brayshaw, Petracca, Oliver, Tyson, Viney, Salem, ANB (who I rate) and Stretch in the same team, especially if Jones and Vince are playing in it too.

The perfect games would be vs Carlton and Geelong.

I would add JKH in too.  Hes had a shocking run with injury but I like him as  a player, and hes back this week for Casey.

25 minutes ago, Petraccattack said:

I would add JKH in too.  Hes had a shocking run with injury but I like him as  a player, and hes back this week for Casey.

What are his tools that will allow him to make it, HH? Can't see it myself.

2 hours ago, ProDee said:

The dearth of our midfield talent (and I use the word loosely) over the last 40 years has been extraordinary.  Outside of Flower, the best midfielder I've seen at Melbourne is Greg Wells (it's a travesty Todd Viney made TOC ahead of him - political reasons imo).

Brian Wilson was absolutely incredible for one year.

3 hours ago, Members' Wing said:

My earliest memories of watching the Dees are the early 90's and in that time Jones is probably the equal best midfielder I've seen, along with Todd Viney.

Glenn Lovett deserves a mention but his career was cruelled by hammy issues.  Tingay played elite games, far in excess of Viney and Jones, but again a career ruined by a slip in the bathroom! In a "normal" career he'd be my pick as the best since Robbie.

I agree with PD.  The mids we now have coupled with the excellent development they'll receive will give us our best midfield since 1964.

I also agree with PD.  Wells was a champ.  If you want "political decisions" just ask yourself why Sean Wight got into our hall of fame ahead of Laurie Fowler who was a three time best and fairest winner.  It's probably just a coincidence that he was Irish and was admitted in 2008 when Jimmy became Chairman.  Sean was a very good player, but still.

 

23 minutes ago, Vogon Poetry said:

Glenn Lovett deserves a mention but his career was cruelled by hammy issues.  Tingay played elite games, far in excess of Viney and Jones, but again a career ruined by a slip in the bathroom! In a "normal" career he'd be my pick as the best since Robbie.

I agree with PD.  The mids we now have coupled with the excellent development they'll receive will give us our best midfield since 1964.

I also agree with PD.  Wells was a champ.  If you want "political decisions" just ask yourself why Sean Wight got into our hall of fame ahead of Laurie Fowler who was a three time best and fairest winner.  It's probably just a coincidence that he was Irish and was admitted in 2008 when Jimmy became Chairman.  Sean was a very good player, but still.

 

Yep I loved Stinga as a player, was my first hero

Does anybody know a good baker capable of making plenty of humble pies?

Stats for his three games back in the AFL after the long layoff

21.7 dsposals per game

7 tackles per game

4 clearances per game

 

Seems to have done him a world of good.  The Gus is heating up.

he has no trouble getting the ball and making space offensively and pushing back defensively. he's developing nicely from a game style point of view.

 

however, his kicking is nothing short of appalling. he misses targets under no pressure repeatedly and regularly doesn't put it to the leading player's advantage.

 

he's a good footballer but he has a LOT of work to do.

2 minutes ago, DemonAndrew said:

he has no trouble getting the ball and making space offensively and pushing back defensively. he's developing nicely from a game style point of view.

 

however, his kicking is nothing short of appalling. he misses targets under no pressure repeatedly and regularly doesn't put it to the leading player's advantage.

 

he's a good footballer but he has a LOT of work to do.

Last year he didn't win much of the footy but was damaging when he did get it. This year, it's the other way round. Expect it to click in 2017!

I thought his contest work today was great, what i like most was he got stuck in but didnt leave his head open for another knock, seems to have confidence which is great. I was wortied he might be a little shy. Disposal will get better.