WELCOME TO THE MELBOURNE FOOTBALL CLUB - AARON VANDENBERG

[PaulRB 6,372]

Very consistent performances week in week out.

Great tackle and marking numbers as well as high disposals...

Get him AFL fit and immersed in the team and he could surprise.

[poita 3,902]

as the Dees FB post mentioned today, both Robbo and Davey came in as rookies (they didn't mention James McDonald for some reason!)

Three of the very best players we've had in the last 20 years

You just never know

Both Robertson and McDonald came to the club through the national draft and were subsequently demoted to the rookie list. I don't know or why that happened - it certainly wouldn't be allowed today.

I would suggest it has been quite a while since we have had a decent player taken directly through the rookie list - perhaps Wonnaeamirri was the last.

[dazzledavey36 54,951]

His highlights are up now on the MFC website.

Must say I was hugely impressed! He really is a big solid midfielder who attacks the contest hard.

Does have that mix of David Mundy and Jobe Watson.

I think Jason Taylor might have a ripper here!

[Straight Sets Simon 23,113]

Solid unit.

[jabberwocky 2,301]

His highlights are up now on the MFC website.

Must say I was hugely impressed! He really is a big solid midfielder who attacks the contest hard.

Does have that mix of David Mundy and Jobe Watson.

I think Jason Taylor might have a ripper here!

Link? only saw the higlights where he is recieving and kicking goals etc.

[Bang Na Demon 167]

Slow would be the only knock from those highlights

[chook fowler 19,459]

Certainly looks the goods from the highlights - not sure about the quality of the opposition.

Build is a bit like Goddard

[DeeSpencer 25,717]

Would be nice to think that one of his old Sydney boys gave Roos a call to say have a gander at this bloke ?

Hope we found him by ourselves.

We do have a pro scout and a full recruiting department, they probably should have checked out a 22 year old who's dominated a semi-pro league of footy even if it's just the NEAFL. Doesn't mean they had to draft him, but what are we paying these guys for if they hadn't even heard of him and watched him play.

I did like the highlights when he was taking on Ryan O'Keefe

[Slartibartfast 17,309]

Both Robertson and McDonald came to the club through the national draft and were subsequently demoted to the rookie list. I don't know or why that happened - it certainly wouldn't be allowed today.

I would suggest it has been quite a while since we have had a decent player taken directly through the rookie list - perhaps Wonnaeamirri was the last.

Wrong. McDonald was in the first rookie draft taken at pick 78.

[S.R.J 418]

Any relation to the Hawks Ritchie Vandenberg?

[Dee-licious 1,951]

Both his kicking and Mitch's was quite strong. Theme emerging?

?

[Moneider96 1,045]

I have a strange feeling this guy will be a gun. Hoping he'll do a Rockliff

[spirit of norm smith 16,468]

Both his kicking and Mitch's was quite strong. Theme emerging?

?

Yes in today's game, elite disposal under pressure in essential. Glad to see this is recognized.

[RalphiusMaximus 6,054]

Funny, I was looking at those highlights and thinking that his kicking needs work. It looks very sloppy, lots of helicopters. The highlights showed the ones that went through, but I wonder how often he misses. I have a sneaking suspicion that he's going to really struggle playing in a faster game against opponents who he can't brush aside. Hope he proves me wrong, but all in all I think he's further off than White.

[Demon 16 213]

Could also be because he is 22 ?

Oscar Mc and Billy Stretch are hardly what you called developed.

Our problem has not been that the players drafted were stick insects. They were stick insects who couldn't get a kick. ( we drafted some big bodied footballers and they couldn't get a kick either)

If you can't see the big bodied midfielders theme in this trade period and draft you must be blind. Billy Stretch won't be huge but he won't be Cale Morton thin. Oscar McDonald will be a big body when he's his brothers age - bookmark it.

Paul Roos has said many times, that his ideal is a big bodied midfield - in the same vein as Fremantle.

Edited December 3, 2014 by Demon 16

[Whispering_Jack 30,198]

Melbourne Demons pick Ainslie's Aaron Vandenberg in AFL rookie draft

Demons couldn't resist huge NEAFL numbers

Melbourne recruiting manager Jason Taylor has watched Vandenberg's progress as an under age footballer and has been pleased with how he has matured as a footballer.

"We feel he is someone who can come in and have an impact," Taylor told AFL.com.au

The raking left foot of White out of defence is likely to suit Demons coach Paul Roos. He has shown a liking for having more than one rebounding defender who can kick the ball and compete hard.

Tadhg Kennelly, Rhyce Shaw, Nick Malceski and Martin Mattner all made their name at the Swans playing in premierships as rebounding defenders.

[jackaub 1,402]

All in all WJ this has been a very good drafting outcome across the board

These two are just what we wanted to fill needs

[rpfc 28,480]

Funny, I was looking at those highlights and thinking that his kicking needs work. It looks very sloppy, lots of helicopters. The highlights showed the ones that went through, but I wonder how often he misses. I have a sneaking suspicion that he's going to really struggle playing in a faster game against opponents who he can't brush aside. Hope he proves me wrong, but all in all I think he's further off than White.

He was voted the second best player in NEAFL and took it up to a very strong Sydney reserves midfield during the year.

White is a kid.

I think there is a definite strategy with how the club is using the Rookie List at the moment - young smalls get 2 years, older players get 1 year, and King will probably get the 3 years to see whether he will be something. So Harmes and Vandenberg better get going.

BTW, Aaron spells his name Van Den Berg on Facebook but he is from the South Coast...

[Dr John Dee 1,057]

Anybody who's kicked Eastlake's butt like that is fine by me.

[nutbean 8,838]

If you can't see the big bodied midfielders theme in this trade period and draft you must be blind. Billy Stretch won't be huge but he won't be Cale Morton thin. Oscar McDonald will be a big body when he's his brothers age - bookmark it.

Paul Roos has said many times, that his ideal is a big bodied midfield - in the same vein as Fremantle.

I did not dismiss the theme of "big bodies" midfielders being drafted. I commented that you would expect a 22 year old to be developed and not all the footballers we have taken are big bodied.

My main concern has always been posters fixation with big bodies rather than recruiting players who can firstly play football that may have big bodies. Most footballers as they mature add some size - we fixate on the exceptions like Morton and Gysberts,

And you need a combination of both big bodies inside and finer footballers with more speed - as Fremantle have as well. Billy Stretch was taken for his outside speed.

[Deeoldfart 8,033]

Seems that Arron has always had the talent, but now has the drive and work ethic to succeed. Good on him, he might just thrive in the 'new' Melbourne. Two-wheel turnaround

[DeeSpencer 25,717]

I don't think he'll be fast. Not many 188cm solidly built white blokes playing local footy are!

I don't think coming off a shoulder injury and having never spent time at a state league, TAC or AFL club that he'll be fit either. A 10 minute 3km is a good sign. But a lot of draftees run good 3km times but then have a lot of work to do building up to AFL level with repeat efforts etc.

I don't think he'll have perfect skills either. His skills look very reasonable, but even our poorly skilled players look good at VFL yet alone NEAFL.

What he does look like is a competitor and very good at finding the footy. He links up, he reads the drop of the ball. I think those skills will transfer at least to VFL. If he hits form early next year in the VFL then I think he's young enough to step up and make it at AFL still. But in terms of impact next year I think that will depend on if he can get a kick playing forward as well.

[Wrecker45 3,378]

Funny, I was looking at those highlights and thinking that his kicking needs work. It looks very sloppy, lots of helicopters.

Not so much helicopters but there were quite a few he didn't seem to strike properly or kick through the ball.

It's hard to make much from the highlights packages.

[gsmith12 491]

Seems that Arron has always had the talent, but now has the drive and work ethic to succeed. Good on him, he might just thrive in the 'new' Melbourne. Two-wheel turnaround

Like the look of this bloke who is obviously not afraid of hard work, high time we jagged another JMac.

[Webber 10,468]

His story to get his chance in the AFL is a great one, much like that of the (perpetually) underrated Matt Jones. Best of luck to him, and I'm still struggling with the idea of 22 as 'mature-aged'.