2014 Player Review - # 27 Aidan Riley

[Demonland 72,176]

Start to the season delayed due to recovery from a broken leg but showed some promise during his nine games with the Demons.

Games MFC 2014 9

Career Total 21

Goals MFC 2014 3

Career Total 8

Games CSFC 2014 9

Goals CSFC 2014 0

Keith "Bluey" Truscott Memorial Trophy 30 votes

[Demon Jack 6,909]

Needs to fix up his disposal (as do 50% of our list) but he's hard at and can win plenty of ball. I like him. A good prospect.

[Gipsy Danger 1,067]

I don't think a lot of people on here really appreciate and understand just how far behind a broken leg can set a player back. Reilly will be a gem with a good full pre season under his belt.

[whatwhat say what 22,747]

I can understand why some rate him highly - endeavour, tackling, desire all look at afl level.

But to be honest to me he just looks like another player who can't kick the ball. And if you can't kick the ball at afl level you're ultimately going to have a truncated career.

[dazzledavey36 54,889]

I can understand why some rate him highly - endeavour, tackling, desire all look at afl level.

But to be honest to me he just looks like another player who can't kick the ball. And if you can't kick the ball at afl level you're ultimately going to have a truncated career.

Im with you there.

Willing to give him a full pre season before I fully write him off.

[Good Times Grimes 2,396]

I like him. He's hard at it and very good in traffic. He may not be in our next premiership team, but he's the type of player that helps you build towards that team and his desire will only help improve the MFC's culture.

[Nasher 33,615]

Riley. It is Riley. Reilly is that other guy that still plays for Adelaide.

[Straight Sets Simon 23,113]

Riley. It is Riley. Reilly is that other guy that still plays for Adelaide.

Really?

[beelzebub 23,364]

Interested to see him after a full preseason. He'll have company. Looks like a good foot soldier.

[poita 3,902]

I suspect he'll do just enough to hang around the bottom of our list for another 2-3 years before we finally find a coach who will make a call. Full marks for effort, but just an average footballer. I'm not sure where he fits in if we pick up another 3 or 4 decent midfielders in the draft / trade period.

[jnrmac 20,060]

I don't think a lot of people on here really appreciate and understand just how far behind a broken leg can set a player back. Reilly will be a gem with a good full pre season under his belt.

Yeah Barlow and Rohan have been terrible.

Lets stop making excuses for our players. They are there to do a job. This mollycoddling leaves players like Blease on the list for 6 years with stuff all contribution. Lets get tough.

[deeko 952]

Yeah Barlow and Rohan have been terrible.

In fairness, Riley isn't anything on Barlow. Barlow is a wonderful player but he did look really scratchy for his first half a dozen matches IIRC.

Rohan isn't exactly setting the world on fire either after the injury.

I'm not making excuses for Riley, I'm just lowering the ceiling. He will be a B grader on his best days and a C grader at best. Hopefully he gets a full preseason (critical for midfielders especially) and we build enough depth around him where is our last mid picked.

[Bring-Back-Powell 14,817]

I don't think he'll make it purely and simply due to his poor kicking.

A shame as he has other good attributes.

Some of his kicking errors made McKenzie and Bail look like Darren Jarman

[Gipsy Danger 1,067]

I'm two years into the recovery from mine and it will never be the same. Even when the break heals your body has changed. Soft tissues injuries become much more common on that leg.

For every 1 that comes good, there are probably 5 or more that don't get back to where they were. Just look at Blease or Strause. Awesome juniors, now both on the way out. Nathan Brown comes to mind as well, never the same.

[Farmer 881]

Yeah Barlow and Rohan have been terrible.

Lets stop making excuses for our players. They are there to do a job. This mollycoddling leaves players like Blease on the list for 6 years with stuff all contribution. Lets get tough.

What an absurd post. This has nothing to do with Blease. We heard that Riley would be out for most of the season. Instead he played just about half and got the ball-a lot.

All of this on no pre-season. Great effort and I'm looking forward to seeing him next tear

[dazzledavey36 54,889]

I'm two years into the recovery from mine and it will never be the same. Even when the break heals your body has changed. Soft tissues injuries become much more common on that leg.

For every 1 that comes good, there are probably 5 or more that don't get back to where they were. Just look at Blease or Strause. Awesome juniors, now both on the way out. Nathan Brown comes to mind as well, never the same.

James Kelly and Michael Voss broke their legs and it never halted them.

[Go the Biff 3,418]

..........

Rohan isn't exactly setting the world on fire either after the injury...............

He did tonight

[wretched.sylph 164]

Gary Rohan had his leg broken by Lindsay Thomas in Round 4, 2012.

Rohan has taken more than two years to return to his best. In February last year, 10 months after his sickening injury, Rohan still walked with a limp.

Rohan started this year in the seniors but battling nerve pain could not play more than half a game.

He was sent to the reserves and given a multitude of tasks. First, he had to build his fitness up to play out a whole game. He also had to learn to play in a new position, in defence.

"I couldn't get over half-time. When I ran out in the third quarter I was sore and couldn't get going," Rohan said.

"They just said I had to push through the pain and it got better and better. I get these little knocks I used to pull out and be a sook but now I can push through it."

As the pain dissipated, his conditioning improved, so too his form.

Riley had his leg broken in an accident against West Coast in Round 15, 2013. After missing the entire pre-season he has done a remarkable job to get back on the park and earn his senior games this year.

Riley will be a very important player for us next season, and beyond. He is a clearance and congestion monster. I can't wait to see him fit and firing (and laying a few more of those bone-jarring tackles of his ).

[whatwhat say what 22,747]

Rohan has pace and is a great kick.

Big difference to Riley.

Not saying pig dog won't be able to come back from his injury to play good football, but it's not exactly apples with oranges.

[Bay Riffin 1,474]

Rohans kicking in the qualifying final was about the worst I have seen.

[bjDee 1,249]

Love his approach. His attack, tackling, evasiveness puts him well ahead of most on our list for those attributes. He actually gives a shitt. Hope his kicking improves. I reckon he'll do well and hope he will be a regular pick 15-20 of our 22.

But then I liked Tappy for years and thought he would come on too.

Fingers crossed for Riley.

[Deeoldfart 8,027]

I love Rilley's hardness and endeavour (which we sorely need at Melbourne) but beyond that I haven't seen much to enthuse about. He's certainly a keeper for now, but I wouldn't be in any rush to suggest a long-term contract is warranted. Fingers firmly crossed that a full pre-season under his belt, guidance from Roos and co., and 100% confidence in his leg, will see him add endurance, increased ball-winning ability and improved foot skills to his repertoire.

[Felix 92]

Get his fitness up and string a few full games together and we should see some improvement from him.

Captain obvious here, but, he will have a much better 2015

[monoccular 17,427]

Yeah Barlow and Rohan have been terrible.

Lets stop making excuses for our players. They are there to do a job. This mollycoddling leaves players like Blease on the list for 6 years with stuff all contribution. Lets get tough.

I can't recall, but how were they in their first season back? Nathan Brown took quite a while too IIRC.

[spirit of norm smith 16,450]

Needs to fix up his disposal (as do 50% of our list) but he's hard at and can win plenty of ball. I like him. A good prospect.

Yes and yes.