16 minutes ago, Magoo said:

The handy things is that with Salem we have a ready made replacement for Big Max if he were to go down.

I've actually heard coaches talking about him & how terrible he is  -  especially in slips.

Let's give him to the Blues for pick 11 & draft back Gysberts.

 

 

Pardon?

16 minutes ago, CP5 said:

At a time when quality users of a football have never been more valuable, largely due to a modern game based on turnovers, you don't jettison a clearly talented 21 year old former top 10 pick, who has struggled with injury. 

That would be foolish and hasty in the extreme.

I remember a young Scott Thompson, who was invariably injured at Melbourne, leave for Adelaide where he's hardly missed a game. 

Hear, hear.

18 minutes ago, CP5 said:

At a time when quality users of a football have never been more valuable, largely due to a modern game based on turnovers, you don't jettison a clearly talented 21 year old former top 10 pick, who has struggled with injury. 

That would be foolish and hasty in the extreme.

I remember a young Scott Thompson, who was invariably injured at Melbourne, leave for Adelaide where he's hardly missed a game. 

Thompson showed more at the MFC for mine than Salem has, but happy to give Salem a bit of time. It's basically what good clubs do.

If you've never had a thyroid problem, me too.

1 hour ago, Magoo said:

The handy things is that with Salem we have a ready made replacement for Big Max if he were to go down.

I've actually heard coaches talking about him & how terrible he is  -  especially in slips.

Let's give him to the Blues for pick 11 & draft back Gysberts.

 

 

 

28 minutes ago, Magoo said:

If you've never had a thyroid problem, me too.

You're not Batshitcrazy are you Magoo?

5 minutes ago, Return to Glory said:

 

You're not Batshitcrazy are you Magoo?

I haven't disclosed my middle name….but….

4 minutes ago, Magoo said:

I haven't disclosed my middle name….but….

There may not be a need to

2 minutes ago, Return to Glory said:

There may not be a need to

It rhymes with Pimpernel.

Was there a big influx of breathtaking lobotomies occurring in our Demonland New Member Intake in 2014. I know there was on another site, but they had a good reason!!

2 minutes ago, willmoy said:

Was there a big influx of breathtaking lobotomies occurring in our Demonland New Member Intake in 2014. I know there was on another site, but they had a good reason!!

Mine had no affect on my breathing.

2 minutes ago, Magoo said:

Mine had no affect on my breathing.

Joins in 2014, posts next to nothing until August 2016, then spams us with the weirdest chain of posts I've ever seen.  What's the story man?

1 minute ago, Nasher said:

Joins in 2014, posts next to nothing until August 2016, then spams us with the weirdest chain of posts I've ever seen.  What's the story man?

Avid reader  -  once I started hitting keys, away I went!

 

 

3 minutes ago, Magoo said:

Avid reader  -  once I started hitting keys, away I went!

 

 

I think we preferred it when you were an avid reader.

3 hours ago, Magoo said:

The handy things is that with Salem we have a ready made replacement for Big Max if he were to go down.

I've actually heard coaches talking about him & how terrible he is  -  especially in slips.

Let's give him to the Blues for pick 11 & draft back Gysberts.

 

 

What are you on? Pass it around man...

13 hours ago, Lord Travis said:

If we were offered a top 10 pick I'd take it and run. He's averaging less than 10 games a year at this point, and when he's played he's barely had an impact.
He is definitely talented, but you can only last on potential for so long. In my opinion, he's got 2 more years to get his body right and start impacting games. If he still finds himself on the side lines or struggling to cement a position after that time, that's then 5 years on the list and you move him on. Hopefully for his sake and the team's sake he comes good and can stay on the park and start fulfilling his potential!

Have you even watched him play?

Last year when he was able to string games together, he became one of our most influential & damaging players.

Missing games due to illness is not the same as being injury riddled. I'm mystified how you jokers don't see that.

5 hours ago, Mach5 said:

Have you even watched him play?

Last year when he was able to string games together, he became one of our most influential & damaging players.

Missing games due to illness is not the same as being injury riddled. I'm mystified how you jokers don't see that.

He's had one good game, that was this round last year against GWS. He was able to intercept and cut off attacks and then hit up targets well with his good kicking skills. Other than that game he has had 28 average games where he has not had an impact. At this stage he is averaging less than 10 games a year and is statistically identically to Toumpas...but ironically lays less tackles. He's averaged 255 metres gained per match, which is below average for a half back flanker who's job is to rebound well and gain territory once we have the ball. 
The point is he has struggled to get on the park and hasn't been able to impact games when he has played. Earlier this year before his health issues were uncovered he was amongst our worst players and eventually was dropped. This may have been due to the health issues effecting him and they hadn't been diagnosed yet, but the fact remains he has not impacted games regularly. He has talent and I want him to become a good player for us, and he can become a good player for us, but in the past we have given guys too long before getting rid of them. We would have guys like Juice Newton and Rohan Bail on the list for 6-7 years before cutting our losses. Salem is already coming into his 4th season and hasn't cemented or found his spot yet, so he needs to start stepping up soon. Let's hope he can because he's talented and we've had too many talented player not make it at this club over the last few decades!

If Salem was at MFC 5 years ago we would definitely trade him because we couldn't develop a vegemite sandwich let alone an AFL footballer. It is a very different landscape now and if (a big if, I know) he can have a full preseason under Brendan McCartney, Salem will surprise many of us by the footballer he becomes.

As for where does he play - half back is the training ground for most utility-type players. Watts spent time there, Trenners has some tme there, etc... I see Salem as a midfielder rotating through high half forward. His decision making, poise, kicking and tackling will have an immediate impact once he is fully fit. 

This preseason looms huge for him. 

2 hours ago, Lord Travis said:

He's had one good game, that was this round last year against GWS. He was able to intercept and cut off attacks and then hit up targets well with his good kicking skills. Other than that game he has had 28 average games where he has not had an impact. At this stage he is averaging less than 10 games a year and is statistically identically to Toumpas...but ironically lays less tackles. He's averaged 255 metres gained per match, which is below average for a half back flanker who's job is to rebound well and gain territory once we have the ball. 
The point is he has struggled to get on the park and hasn't been able to impact games when he has played. Earlier this year before his health issues were uncovered he was amongst our worst players and eventually was dropped. This may have been due to the health issues effecting him and they hadn't been diagnosed yet, but the fact remains he has not impacted games regularly. He has talent and I want him to become a good player for us, and he can become a good player for us, but in the past we have given guys too long before getting rid of them. We would have guys like Juice Newton and Rohan Bail on the list for 6-7 years before cutting our losses. Salem is already coming into his 4th season and hasn't cemented or found his spot yet, so he needs to start stepping up soon. Let's hope he can because he's talented and we've had too many talented player not make it at this club over the last few decades!

Yep, well I've heard enough from you, if that's all you can glean from Salem's matches so far.

Just now, Mach5 said:

Yep, well I've heard enough from you, if that's all you can glean from Salem's matches so far.

What else is there to glean? I'm only stating facts. Thankfully he's being played further up the ground today and is one of the few players actually having an impact which is great to see. Hopefully he gets played midfield full time going forward as that's where most of us see him best suited to.

I don't have many concerns about Salem. Probably one of the most skillful players on our list.

Just needs to stay fit. I would like him on the wing as an outside type.

What a great performance by Christian (relatively speaking).  He is one of the few today who stood up and close to our best.

Showed his class all day and worked hard  - 7 tackles. 

Mighty effort after being ill for so long and losing so much weight. 

2017 will be his year and with him we have some chance of making finals (today notwithstanding).

Without him...?

Can't believe that people keep putting his name up for trade!

 

If he's fit & healthy he it's time to throw him into the midfield & see what he can do, with Melksham & possibly Hibberd looking set to play off half back Salem's skill can add another dimension to our team in the guts 

On 26/08/2016 at 0:42 AM, juzzk1d said:

He will get a massive pre-season under his belt and develop a huge tank. 

Big call given the illness he has.

On 26/8/2016 at 11:41 AM, olisik said:

I suggested trading him few years back as he is an injury prone player and it is going to stunt his development, I got shot down and look at what's happening. 

 

Wouldn't be surprised to see him floated for trade this year either if return was good. We have Melksham Hunt Harmes and potentially Hibberd to the half back role. 

Perhaps we also should have traded Patracca before he did his knee.  Big Max is another one who's currency before this year was well down due to successive knee injuries and just look at how many seasons we have wasted on the bearded warrior.

Salem has already produced more in the two or three years on our list than Cale Morton or Joydan Gysbits did in half a dozen and they are the other potential out comes of trading for a draft pick and trying a different option.

Are you from the school of thought that high draft picks should perform to their full potential from their first year?  Only a few freaks like Crisps and Judd ever managed that, but most clubs fully expect quality players to take a few years to develop and can take longer if there are a few speed bumps along the way.  Just look at Robbie Grey guess you would have traded him too.

I actually think that first round draft picks are like new cars, in so far as you pretty much loose value on them the moment you drive them out the door.

On 8/27/2016 at 3:13 PM, Lord Travis said:

What else is there to glean? I'm only stating facts. Thankfully he's being played further up the ground today and is one of the few players actually having an impact which is great to see. Hopefully he gets played midfield full time going forward as that's where most of us see him best suited to.

"One good game and 28 average ones" is a very generous definition of "facts".