Blame Neeld for that. The vast majority of recruiting staff wanted Wines over Toumpas, many had felt Toumpas peaked as a 17 yo.

Neeld felt he had greater "character and personality" over Wines and in the end the head coach gets the final say.

That just about sums up Mark Neeld

Wines will win a Norm Smith before Neeld gets another job!!

SAD!

Brilliant 4 game contribution, this kid has done everything and more expected of a number 4 draft pick and clearly has a big future ahead of him

Oh wait sorry I thought I was on a forum for one of the other 17 sides

He (JV) was being interviewed by Ox on SEN after Melbourne had secured him in the Father / Son bidding. Viney said that Toump was the pick of the players due to his leadership and training standards. Jack followed up though by saying he didn't think he'd be available still by Melbourne's pick. A week later I was wrapped when it looked like we'd get him.

That is well and good, but the professional list managers failed to consult the crystal balls belonging to several posters on this site.

Blame Neeld for that. The vast majority of recruiting staff wanted Wines over Toumpas, many had felt Toumpas peaked as a 17 yo.

Neeld felt he had greater "character and personality" over Wines and in the end the head coach gets the final say.

i blame hannibal

At this stage he may prove to the worst of our top 5 picks. Even Morton is above him at this stage. I only hold out blind hope rather than real optimism that Toumpas will become an AFL player. I really like the kid, and he's got time on his side. Fingers crossed he can find his feet. He looks so far off it at this stage.

At this stage he may prove to the worst of our top 5 picks. Even Morton is above him at this stage. I only hold out blind hope rather than real optimism that Toumpas will become an AFL player. I really like the kid, and he's got time on his side. Fingers crossed he can find his feet. He looks so far off it at this stage.

this is my fear too. has shown far, far less than morton did in his first two years. it's a concern for sure,

this is my fear too. has shown far, far less than morton did in his first two years. it's a concern for sure,

Morton was considered elite with his running and disposal efficiency in his first couple of years....very worrying indeed.

this is my fear too. has shown far, far less than morton did in his first two years. it's a concern for sure,

At this stage he may prove to the worst of our top 5 picks. Even Morton is above him at this stage. I only hold out blind hope rather than real optimism that Toumpas will become an AFL player. I really like the kid, and he's got time on his side. Fingers crossed he can find his feet. He looks so far off it at this stage.

Morton was considered elite with his running and disposal efficiency in his first couple of years....very worrying indeed.

Well done guys. Crucify a kid who has been injured for two years.

You must be elite recruiters.

Do people have short memories?

Morton was gifted games his first two years when he shouldn't have played. Instead of throwing them into the wolfs like we did with toumpas last year Roos treated him like a first year player. Develop in the seconds, work hard and earn your spot.

Plus with the injuries he has copped its obviously halted his development.

Get through a full pre season this year and I expect him to grow as a player.

The other difference is attitude. We were drafting kids with x-factor, but no drive to get the best out of themselves. Toumpas will be a great player because he won't let himself not be.

I remember hearing Viney say he was hoping we'd pick up Toumpas as well, which is why I was stoked when we were a chance. Jack certainly won't have hard feelings about not selecting Ollie, dunno why you guys do.

Edit: spelling.

Well done guys. Crucify a kid who has been injured for two years.

You must be elite recruiters.

Listen Mate many on here didnt want Toumpas and said so at the time on this very forum. So why did our brains trust select him?Must have seen something the elite recruiters on here didnt see Wonder what it was !Mean while Olie is going form strenghth to strength.So pray tell what did the recruiters see that we all missed?

Do people have short memories?

Morton was gifted games his first two years when he shouldn't have played. Instead of throwing them into the wolfs like we did with toumpas last year Roos treated him like a first year player. Develop in the seconds, work hard and earn your spot.

Plus with the injuries he has copped its obviously halted his development.

Get through a full pre season this year and I expect him to grow as a player.

Ahhhhhhhh the old pre season chesnut!! Geessus!

Listen Mate many on here didnt want Toumpas and said so at the time on this very forum. So why did our brains trust select him?Must have seen something the elite recruiters on here didnt see Wonder what it was !Mean while Olie is going form strenghth to strength.So pray tell what did the recruiters see that we all missed?

[censored] many people on here were absolutely rapted toumpas slipped to pick 4 after all year he predicted to go top 2.

Stop pulling rubbish out of your backside and do your reserch before he try and speak for everyone else.

Do people have short memories?

Morton was gifted games his first two years when he shouldn't have played. Instead of throwing them into the wolfs like we did with toumpas last year Roos treated him like a first year player. Develop in the seconds, work hard and earn your spot.

Plus with the injuries he has copped its obviously halted his development.

Get through a full pre season this year and I expect him to grow as a player.

You must be high

Morton played 40 games in his first 2 years and averaged 21 disposals throughout, also kicked 21 goals. He had 97 touches in 3 weeks at one point.

Absolutely on another planet compared to Toumpas

Ollie Wines what a gun!!

Wait... This is a Toupas thread...awful just awful.

The only hard nut we've drafted since 2006 is Viney and that was a father-son selection. It must have hurt the recruiters to be compelled to select Viney when some soft as butter typical MFC player could have been available at the selection.

Well I watch tonight's game after seeing a number of port games in the last two years.

And yes it is hind sight.

We picked the wrong one.

One is an average player and the other is a winner of high pressure finals.

Wines will win a Norm Smith before Neeld gets another job!!

Actually Wines will win a Normy....... Neeld WONT get another AFL job.

That just about sums up Mark Neeld

No.. This photo somes up Mark Neeld.

I immediately feel sick to my stomach knowing we picked Toumpas over Wines when Ollie was living with Todd Viney and best mates with Jack....

Yet at the same time Todd Viney, better than anyone else, was familiar with both Toumpas and Wines respective pedigrees and we picked him. We had the inside running on information against the other Clubs yet we made the choice that every other recruiting officer would have made at the time.

Right there with you, to see the character and courage Ollie brings to the table is EXACTLY what MFC is missing at the moment and to think we brought another outside (at best) player like Toumpas in, knowing his injuries in the past and how this would reflect his future was the worst decision since Morton. I honestly thought we were over that crap too.

I'd like to see the direct quote from JV in regards to taking Toumpas over Wines as I think that's heavily fictional.

From memory it was this interview:

http://www.melbournefc.com.au/video/2012-10-09/jack-viney-exclusive-interview

Unfortunately I can't listen to the audio from the computer I'm on right now, someone will have to check it for me. But I do have a clear memory of Jack saying that Jimmy is the one he'd love to play with out of all the other players in his draft.

I still hold out hopes for him. But his form this year was a worry.

I remember his name in his draft year, seeing some of his highlights and thinking "Wow, what a jet!"

What I've recently discovered is that he had 'season-ending hip surgery' around July 2012, after the Championships where he made a name for himself. That might explain why he looked so good at U/18 level and then so out of his depth early on at AFL level.

The questions I have are:

a) Was it definitely double-hip surgery? Any articles that can confirm it was both hips?

b) Will he ever make a full recovery from it? Hip surgery sounds pretty serious and he certainly looks slower now than he did in the highlights vids.

He seems like a great kid and it's not his fault we picked him ahead of Wines. I really hope he makes it.

Needs to find his feet. Coming into Neeld-led Melbourne hasn't helped, especially for a young guy who's (at the moment) very much a confidence player. Pity he had injury/sickness problems this year - they've obviously held him back, and it must have been a frustrating season for Jimmy with the expectations he has of himself.

In reality, when you look at his stats and history over his first 2 years, not dissimilar to one Dom Tyson.

Patience people. Let him get on with it. He's the least of our worries.

A huge 2015 ahead. Run Jimmy run !!

i've ranted about his stats to everyone and shown how they are absolutely nothing to worry about, especially when you compare them to "elite" players at the same age.
But let's look back to why we drafted this kid. Watch the video below, look at his pace and line breaking, which i know has dropped off due to injury/lack of pre-season etc.
But give him a decent pre-season, some more development and watch him become the player below (that's if we don't give up on him and trade him).
He'll be forever compared to Wines by the morons who still stalk their ex-lovers Facebook pages, but at 20 years old, and without the "mans" body that Wines has, he will take some more time: