I don't think I'm going out on a limb to say that I think Tom Sparrow will play senior footy at some point this year.

12 minutes ago, Demonland said:

I don't think I'm going out on a limb to say that I think Tom Sparrow will play senior footy at some point this year.

Which, unlike previous incarnations of the MFC, will mean he's totally earned the opportunity and we'll be all the better for it. Going by all the reports, he sounds like a ripper.

26 minutes ago, Demonland said:

I don't think I'm going out on a limb to say that I think Tom Sparrow will play senior footy at some point this year.

he's been very chirpy at training

the coaches are sure to throw a few crumbs his way

i expect we'll see him flying at some stage

Interesting that Corey Wagner is training with the forwards. They may play him as a high half forward who pushes up the ground and back to goals with his endurance running.

Hannan will want to get his body right and play some good footy.

Toby Bedford learnt a valuable lesson in the session yesterday

Was matched up on Nev at one point and cheekily gave him a love tap

Nev bided his time and then happily buried Toby in a ball and all tackle

Chandler is my early pick to be a surpise packet

Corey Wagner will be keeping all the medium small forwards honest 

Edited January 25, 20196 yr by Satyriconhome

1 hour ago, The team we love said:

Interesting that Corey Wagner is training with the forwards. They may play him as a high half forward who pushes up the ground and back to goals with his endurance running.

Hannan will want to get his body right and play some good footy.

I actually do wonder whether this is more of a case that we will see Alex Neale Bullen spend more time in the midfield to use his 2 way running? I also believe Wagner is a very high endurance runner and this could then see him take on that half forward role Nibbler has occupied the past couple of years.

1 hour ago, The team we love said:

Interesting that Corey Wagner is training with the forwards. They may play him as a high half forward who pushes up the ground and back to goals with his endurance running.

Hannan will want to get his body right and play some good footy.

When you look at the list, all the players with a few exceptions can run. No mores lamp posts that watch the ball go by or decide not to chase because the ball is more than 10 meters away. 

31 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

I actually do wonder whether this is more of a case that we will see Alex Neale Bullen spend more time in the midfield to use his 2 way running? I also believe Wagner is a very high endurance runner and this could then see him take on that half forward role Nibbler has occupied the past couple of years.

ANB will be the transition player with his strong running. He'll set another record for km's per game expect 17km in a game, a few times this year. Midfield and Wing, then he'll run forward into a wide open 50 with his direct opponent a long way behind.

Sparrow with his long kicking and solid possesion will be his trademark. We'll see him this year.

Toby Bedford is dynamic, expect his fitness to increase and his tackling pressure reminds me ex-rugby junior Matthew "The Wrecker" Whelan. I loved watching him play.

Haven't seen much of Marty Hore or Chandler.

Encouraging summary from Egan.

All the boys seem to have a great work ethic.

Time at Casey will sort out their development and we will see how they adapt to playing against men rather than boys.

Like other sports some can adapt and others not. 

In athletics,  I have seen a lot of talented kids that just can't manage that transition. Young blokes that you would have said were dead set future Olympians but fade into the ether at senior level.  

3 hours ago, Demonland said:

I don't think I'm going out on a limb to say that I think Tom Sparrow will play senior footy at some point this year.

The way Christians are tracking these days,  there may be a crumb for a sparrow to pounce.

Very happy to see all the youngsters developing in the VFL this year.

Will be watching Hore and Petty closely in the JLT and am excited by the prospect of Spargo with another pre-season under his belt and Baker finding a spot on the wing at some stage in 2019.

 

Yes I think 90% of demonlanders and observers think Sparrow will play for MFC in 2019. But I’m happy if he has a full year at Casey.  That would mean we had enough mids and low injuries.  He probably gets a game if we start to run down midfield stocks. 

Wagner is the same. Handy depth.  

Hore is a very good signing and should see some MFC game time.  Lewis could get rested during this year and Lever is unlikely to be ready for Round 1.

Most of the others should have a year to develop at Casey with no pressure to step up just yet. 

Incredibly, four of the nine listed were born within a six day period in May 2000.

Bradtke and Bedford both born on the 27th,  Nietschke one day earlier on the 26th and Sparrow on the 31st.

Edited January 25, 20196 yr by demonstone
maths

2 hours ago, dazzledavey36 said:

I actually do wonder whether this is more of a case that we will see Alex Neale Bullen spend more time in the midfield to use his 2 way running? I also believe Wagner is a very high endurance runner and this could then see him take on that half forward role Nibbler has occupied the past couple of years.

This is very reasonable; it will also give Nibbler the opportunity to straight-line his assets into the forward line; he does return to position and zone very quickly, and well. Wagner certainly could be snapper nearing the goal mouth, too. 

1 hour ago, spirit of norm smith said:

Yes I think 90% of demonlanders and observers think Sparrow will play for MFC in 2019. But I’m happy if he has a full year at Casey.  That would mean we had enough mids and low injuries.  He probably gets a game if we start to run down midfield stocks. 

Wagner is the same. Handy depth.  

Hore is a very good signing and should see some MFC game time.  Lewis could get rested during this year and Lever is unlikely to be ready for Round 1.

Most of the others should have a year to develop at Casey with no pressure to step up just yet. 

Hore is indeed a very good signing and considerably useful as a 'prop and run' backman. Kicks well, too, from all MFC and DL reports. 

4 hours ago, Satyriconhome said:

Toby Bedford learnt a valuable lesson in the session yesterday

Was matched up on Nev at one point and cheekily gave him a love tap

Nev bided his time and then happily buried Toby in a ball and all tackle

Chandler is my early pick to be a surpise packet

Corey Wagner will be keeping all the medium small forwards honest 

Sounds extremely painful.

6 hours ago, Mazer Rackham said:

he's been very chirpy at training

the coaches are sure to throw a few crumbs his way

i expect we'll see him flying at some stage

Careful with the corny one liners Mazer. There are some humourless old codgers reading this. 

5 hours ago, Satyriconhome said:

Toby Bedford learnt a valuable lesson in the session yesterday

Was matched up on Nev at one point and cheekily gave him a love tap

Nev bided his time and then happily buried Toby in a ball and all tackle

 

Thanks for this amusing anecdote Saty.

Toby is lucky to be learning from a master. From his first game, it was obvious that if you got tackled by Nev, you stayed tackled .. and it may well hurt. 

1 hour ago, Deemania since 56 said:

Hore is indeed a very good signing and considerably useful as a 'prop and run' backman. Kicks well, too, from all MFC and DL reports. 

I watched Hore in the match simulation last Friday. He was defending and seemed to me to be out of position, keeping the an eye on two or three forwards, not near any of them and looking a bit lost. However when the ball was kicked to his area he prevented his opponents getting a clean possession and killed off the forward thrust. Could develop into a pretty useful defender.

I'm looking forward to seeing young Tom Sparrow play for the Melbourne Football Club in the top-flight Australian Football League. But can someone outline the scenario in which this might happen this year? Without a massive dent to our finals/flag chances?

Meanwhile, this doesn't inspire a lot of confidence as to the coaches' grammatical efforts: Nietschke: “He’s joined the defenders group also even though he’s played a large part of his games as a midfielder. We see him as a versatile playing moving forward.  he’s got some strong mentors already taking him under his wing and  helping him out."

 

 

 

Matt Egan channeling Plapp perchance? Kade’s a really bubbly personality and he’s going really well. He’s really enjoying being a forward and he’s got some really good foot skills. He can mark the ball for a little fella – he really jumps at it. He’s really clear on what he needs to work on and he keeps chipping away. He’s played senior footy before and he looks really comfortable here.”

15 minutes ago, Skuit said:

Meanwhile, this doesn't inspire a lot of confidence as to the coaches' grammatical efforts: Nietschke: “He’s joined the defenders group also even though he’s played a large part of his games as a midfielder. We see him as a versatile playing moving forward.  he’s got some strong mentors already taking him under his wing and  helping him out."

 

 

 

It good English like that what I speak, good job he is a footy coach and not a pedant

Just now, Satyriconhome said:

It good English like that what I speak, good job he is a footy coach and not a pedant

Pedant? Sure Saty, but can you explain me what a 'versatile playing moving forward' is? Or have you already taken him under his wing?

41 minutes ago, deefender said:

Thanks for this amusing anecdote Saty.

Toby is lucky to be learning from a master. From his first game, it was obvious that if you got tackled by Nev, you stayed tackled .. and it may well hurt. 

Nev has been raving to me about Toby for 2 years, was overjoyed when we got him, thinks with the correct development we have now will be a crowd/cult favorite when he gets his chance

Nev relishes the mentoring role