2018 Player Reviews: #3 Christian Salem

[Demonland 74,467]

 BEWITCHED

This season was Christian Salem’s best for the club. He was relatively free of injury and held down the spot of the medium sized defender with pace, ability to shut down defenders and rebound the ball forward with his accuracy and skill.

Date of Birth: July 15, 1995

Height: 183cm

Weight: 83kg

Games MFC 2018: 24

Career Total: 70

Goals MFC 2018: 6

Career Total: 19

Votes 2018 Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Memorial Trophy: 403 votes (8th)

[WERRIDEE 5,641]

Fantastic year off half back, great user of the ball.

[Swooper1987 3,322]

A gun.  His kicking is a joy to watch.  Salem will be a real weapon for us for many years to come.

[Dodos Demons 235]

One of my favourites because of his elite kicking efficiency. Reminds me of the silky kicking skills of Yze and Green. A delight to watch when fit and firing. Also hard at it when required. 

Hope he has a great off season but this year the club pay for his personal trainer ?. Have him playing fully fit and pushing up onto the wing at times will be a great to see. 

[THE DEES! 3]

Love what he brings to the table. Always composed, keeps his feet, superb kick..... and he's tough! 

With 70 games now under his belt we have a good one here. 

 

 

[La Dee-vina Comedia 17,137]

  On 13/10/2018 at 11:13, Dodos Demons said:

One of my favourites because of his elite kicking efficiency. Reminds me of the silky kicking skills of Yze and Green. A delight to watch when fit and firing. Also hard at it when required. 

Hope he has a great off season but this year the club pay for his personal trainer ?. Have him playing fully fit and pushing up onto the wing at times will be a great to see. 

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What is it that makes left footers look more "silky" with their kicking skills than right footers? It's not just Yze, Green and Salem. Add Kent, Hodge, Lewis and many more. And yet I can't think of one right foot kick that I would describe as "silky" even though there are obviously plenty of excellent right foot kickers out there.  

[DSP 1,488]

Getting better and still hasnt peaked. One of our best kicks. Hope he can spend more time in the middle delivering up forward next year.

[Adzman 2,154]

  On 17/10/2018 at 04:43, DSP said:

Getting better and still hasnt peaked. One of our best kicks. Hope he can spend more time in the middle delivering up forward next year.

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Yeah I'm with you. I think moving him up into the middle for will make us more dangerous. He is a tough sort, and his kicking is sublime. Still a great option at half back, but I think he has the goods to spend some time in the middle.

[Dodos Demons 235]

  On 17/10/2018 at 02:38, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

What is it that makes left footers look more "silky" with their kicking skills than right footers? It's not just Yze, Green and Salem. Add Kent, Hodge, Lewis and many more. And yet I can't think of one right foot kick that I would describe as "silky" even though there are obviously plenty of excellent right foot kickers out there.  

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Couldn’t agree more. I don’t know either. The elite left footers (like those you have mentioned) just look so smooth, balanced and sublime - from run up, ball drop, follow through and the way they land after kicking.  It all just looks so efficient and effortless. Fond memories of of Salem kicking that goal in the Blmbers match a few years back. Not to mention Kent vs Eagles of course. The list goes on  

Will have to keep our eyes out for a right footer that fits the bill and report back. 

[La Dee-vina Comedia 17,137]

  On 17/10/2018 at 09:58, Dodos Demons said:

Couldn’t agree more. I don’t know either. The elite left footers (like those you have mentioned) just look so smooth, balanced and sublime - from run up, ball drop, follow through and the way they land after kicking.  It all just looks so efficient and effortless. Fond memories of of Salem kicking that goal in the Blmbers match a few years back. Not to mention Kent vs Eagles of course. The list goes on  

Will have to keep our eyes out for a right footer that fits the bill and report back. 

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The left footer silky kickers seem to lean back a little more when they kick, too. The best right foot kicks, such as Shaun Burgoyne, Nathan Buckley and Darren Jarman are or were all superb kicks, but were more upright as they kicked the ball and (notwithstanding Burgoyne's nickname) not really "silky" in their kicking action.

[TeamPlayedFine39 8,525]

Salem has a very, very high ceiling and has only shown a glimpse of what he is capable of.  Hopefully he is able to hit the preseason healthy, fit and full of confidence.