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Posted (edited)

Love this from Macca:  McCartney on pre-season: Part One

A couple of delicious quotes:

"............... the group is so willing to learn and receptive to getting better, it's brilliant to come to work every day with them"

and

"................almost every player has taken another step forward with their learning and development.  We won't lack for talent, we won't lack for preparation and we are really confident that we won't lack for intensity.  The Club has entered a really exciting phase."

Edited by Deeoldfart
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  • Like 13

Posted

I just looked at the AFL Analysis on all teams at the end of 2013, we only have 10 players left on the list which represents a 78% turn around on players at the MFC, probably even higher with coaching staff!!! Lets face it I doubt that any coach would be bagging out any player at this stage of the pre-season and do we really want everyone to know their weaknesses. Go Dee's!!!

  • Like 1
Posted

Shame they didn't let Macca do the review of the 4th player in that set. 

Lewis impressing early. Oscar a coaches favourite. 

Posted
On 1/7/2017 at 7:56 PM, Demonated said:

I love Viney but his kicking action is way too far gone. I'm confident in saying that he will never be a consistently damaging kick, especially over 40m. He could well improve his short kicking but his disposal by foot is easily the biggest weakness in his game. Doesn't mean he isn't a gun though.

Just like his Dad :) if he is half as good i would be happy but i think he will be better. :) 

Posted

Latest Macca update:  http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/2017-01-16/list-update-petracca-salem-and-smith

Christian Salem

"He’s been terrific this summer. Christian arrived back from his post-season break very fit. You just see him at training at times and his pure class comes out. All Melbourne people have seen enough snippets of Christian at his best to know that we’ve got a special young player on our hands".

He will be the Dees' surprise packet this year!  Long thought he is up there with Watts on footy IQ and pure skill.  We have players with other special talents but  few with silky skills.  Christian has them.  

  • Like 7

Posted (edited)
26 minutes ago, Lucifer's Hero said:

  Long thought he is up there with Watts on footy IQ and pure skill.  We have players with other special talents but  few with silky skills.  Christian has them.  

Agree with this. Like Watts he has the rare (particularly for the MFC) combination of being a brilliant kick and also having fantastic vision, which means for both players many of their kicks lead to scoring opportunities (which clearly is something they both value - for Watts this is perhaps related to his  basketball days, given the importance placed on assists).

They  also share two other kicking skills that should not be rare but unfortunately  are, again particularly for the MFC: excellent technique and and ability to properly weight kicks to leading players.

Hogan and the other forwards are going to love having Salem and Watts both regularly playing in the same team.

Edited by binman
  • Like 1

Posted (edited)
29 minutes ago, Lucifer's Hero said:

Latest Macca update:  http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/2017-01-16/list-update-petracca-salem-and-smith

Christian Salem

"He’s been terrific this summer. Christian arrived back from his post-season break very fit. You just see him at training at times and his pure class comes out. All Melbourne people have seen enough snippets of Christian at his best to know that we’ve got a special young player on our hands".

He will be the Dees' surprise packet this year!  Long thought he is up there with Watts on footy IQ and pure skill.  We have players with other special talents but  few with silky skills.  Christian has them.  

What was also interesting to read was that Joel Smith came into consideration for a run in the AFL late in the season.  Just goes to show we have a real smokey on our hands and that, with further development, we could have another terrific young player.

Edited by Wiseblood
  • Like 4
Posted
1 hour ago, Wiseblood said:

What was also interesting to read was that Joel Smith came into consideration for a run in the AFL late in the season.  Just goes to show we have a real smokey on our hands and that, with further development, we could have another terrific young player.

Not sure how he didn't come close, but came into consideration.

Possibly means that if we had a number of injuries, that he would get a call up, but because our list was quite healthy, there was still a number of players in front of him.

He's definitely a well-liked player on this board, I haven't seen anything of him, so it's hard for me to form a view either way.  That said, he is currently a Category B rookie, so based on that I have formed the view that he is still a little way off being selected for the seniors.  But by the sounds of it, if he has a good start to the season, and we have some bad luck with injury, he may get the opportunity.

Posted (edited)
20 minutes ago, billy2803 said:

Not sure how he didn't come close, but came into consideration.

Possibly means that if we had a number of injuries, that he would get a call up, but because our list was quite healthy, there was still a number of players in front of him.

He's definitely a well-liked player on this board, I haven't seen anything of him, so it's hard for me to form a view either way.  That said, he is currently a Category B rookie, so based on that I have formed the view that he is still a little way off being selected for the seniors.  But by the sounds of it, if he has a good start to the season, and we have some bad luck with injury, he may get the opportunity.

I know little of Joel Smith, other than seeing him play in one of the VFL finals, I think it was the Prelim, where he played probably his best game for Casey.

He ran through the middle corridor several times, delivering long accurate passes.

He showed pace and balance, coupled with good disposal setting up a few goals.

He is a nice size and hopefully has some of the marking talent of his dad.

I agree with Wiseblood and others on here, that he could be a real smoky for us.

What is so different for us today, compared to a few years ago, is that we could probably name a dozen players who are not in our best 22, but who wouldn't be out of place in the team.

The other factor that has changed from the Pre Roos days where we probably had 5-6 decent players on the list, is the massive amount of talent on the list and especially in our best 22.

We just didn't have the amount of talented players we do now.

We are a real chance to play finals and set this club up like the Hawks did and have a sustained period of success.

We only need to add to our list here and there, to improve it and keep it strong, after a few leave each year.

We should be grateful to PJ, Roos, Taylor, Viney, McCartney and all those who helped get us to this stage.

 

Edited by Redleg
  • Like 16
Posted
1 minute ago, Redleg said:

I know little of Joel Smith, other than seeing him play in one of the VFL finals, I think it was the Prelim, where he excelled.

He ran through the middle corridor several times, delivering long accurate passes.

He showed pace and balance, coupled with good disposal setting up a few goals.

He is a nice size and hopefully has some of the marking talent of his dad.

I agree with Wiseblood and others on here, that he could be a real smoky for us.

What is so different for us today, compared to a few years ago, is that we could probably name a dozen players who are not in our best 22, but who wouldn't be out of place in the team.

The other factor that has changed from the Pre Roos days where we probably had 5-6 decent players on the list, is the massive amount of talent on the list and especially in our best 22.

We just didn't have the amount of talented players we do now.

We are a real chance to play finals and set this club up like the Hawks did and have a sustained period of success.

We only need to add to our list here and there, to improve it and keep it strong, after a few leave each year.

We should be grateful to PJ, Roos, Taylor, Viney, McCartney and all those who helped get us to this stage.

 

Agree. But I'd like to add Nathan Jones, too. He has played with distinction through the bad times and never dropped his head.

  • Like 4
Posted
1 minute ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

Agree. But I'd like to add Nathan Jones, too. He has played with distinction through the bad times and never dropped his head.

Agree with his contribution, but he is not really involved in turning over the list.

Posted
3 minutes ago, Redleg said:

I know little of Joel Smith, other than seeing him play in one of the VFL finals, I think it was the Prelim, where he excelled.

He ran through the middle corridor several times, delivering long accurate passes.

He showed pace and balance, coupled with good disposal setting up a few goals.

He is a nice size and hopefully has some of the marking talent of his dad.

I agree with Wiseblood and others on here, that he could be a real smoky for us.

What is so different for us today, compared to a few years ago, is that we could probably name a dozen players who are not in our best 22, but who wouldn't be out of place in the team.

The other factor that has changed from the Pre Roos days where we probably had 5-6 decent players on the list, is the massive amount of talent on the list and especially in our best 22.

We just didn't have the amount of talented players we do now.

We are a real chance to play finals and set this club up like the Hawks did and have a sustained period of success.

We only need to add to our list here and there, to improve it and keep it strong, after a few leave each year.

We should be grateful to PJ, Roos, Taylor, Viney, McCartney and all those who helped get us to this stage.

 

Amen to that Mr. Leg.

Posted

Couldn't see Oliver mentioned already

not a bad wrap for the kid!

Clayton’s a high talent and as the summer’s unfolded, you notice him more and more in drills at training. His ground play and ability to extract the ball are quite extraordinary for a young player. At the moment, we’re just adding different levels of fitness to him and some education around what to do when he’s not near the ball. By gee, when he’s near the ball – look out! He wins it more often than not.

http://www.melbournefc.com.au/news/2017-01-15/list-update-anb-oliver-and-pedersen

  • Like 3
Posted
1 hour ago, billy2803 said:

Not sure how he didn't come close, but came into consideration.

Possibly means that if we had a number of injuries, that he would get a call up, but because our list was quite healthy, there was still a number of players in front of him.

He's definitely a well-liked player on this board, I haven't seen anything of him, so it's hard for me to form a view either way.  That said, he is currently a Category B rookie, so based on that I have formed the view that he is still a little way off being selected for the seniors.  But by the sounds of it, if he has a good start to the season, and we have some bad luck with injury, he may get the opportunity.

I agree on all of that Billy, and I think that's the beauty of our list.  We've been able to educate Joel and train him in our philosophies and culture without needing to expose him to AFL before he is ready, and thus his confidence and abilities grew throughout the year to where he played his best footy for Casey in the VFL finals.  It will give him the best chance to make a career for himself and, going by the information we get, it seems he has continued to work hard and improve, which only bodes well for him and for the club as a whole.

  • Like 2

Posted
2 hours ago, billy2803 said:

Not sure how he didn't come close, but came into consideration.

Possibly means that if we had a number of injuries, that he would get a call up, but because our list was quite healthy, there was still a number of players in front of him.

He's definitely a well-liked player on this board, I haven't seen anything of him, so it's hard for me to form a view either way.  That said, he is currently a Category B rookie, so based on that I have formed the view that he is still a little way off being selected for the seniors.  But by the sounds of it, if he has a good start to the season, and we have some bad luck with injury, he may get the opportunity.

 

Interesting wording but I think it means they discussed him at selection but never had him in the emergencies or close enough that they were tempted to disrupt his continuity at Casey (which was already disrupted by injury during the year).

He jumps out (both literally and metaphorically) at training as a guy to watch. Really good in the air and evasive at ground level. He's also made a big change to his body shape where he looks like a footballer now. I don't think he'll have the same impact and competition for spots should be greater but I think he's not far from where Hunt was this time last year. 

And the coaches went the safe option and didn't pick Hunt until he put some runs on the board in the VFL and he made his debut in round 4.

I'm not sure Simon Goodwin will be as conservative as Roos was. Joel Smith is very close to my best 22 and if he plays well in preseason he might just get in.

  • Like 2
Posted
1 hour ago, Vogon Poetry said:

Peter Jackson............................

Yep, the architect and enabler.

  • Like 1
Posted
6 minutes ago, DeeSpencer said:

And the coaches went the safe option and didn't pick Hunt until he put some runs on the board in the VFL and he made his debut in round 4.

 

I remember being critical of both Wagner and Hunt's selection last year because I didn't think either had done much in the VFL to justify selection.

I was wrong on both counts.  But I'm not sure the selections were "safe".  Grimes would have been the safe (and wrong) selection.  I would have make it.

  • Like 1
Posted
13 minutes ago, Vogon Poetry said:

I remember being critical of both Wagner and Hunt's selection last year because I didn't think either had done much in the VFL to justify selection.

I was wrong on both counts.  But I'm not sure the selections were "safe".  Grimes would have been the safe (and wrong) selection.  I would have make it.

 

They went with Oscar Mc which was brave I guess. And by safe I mean the mix of Garland, Lumumba and Dunn through the early rounds of the year until Wagner was tried in round 3 and Hunt round 4. Salem was also in the side then and he always should be in the best 22, they just didn't know his health was dropping away.

I remember watching Wagner train and thought he was in the best 22 but they didn't overuse him in the first two round of preseason and then he was up and down against the Saints. I also remember a report from a supporters meeting that Goodwin was really keen on Hunt. Either way, I'm not critical of how they were made to earn it a little, and I agree they certainly didn't have had a bucketload of VFL form behind them.

My point is just to illustrate that Goodwin might see how they waited a few weeks to get those guys in last year and decide he not to be as patient this year.

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