Oscar McDonald

[nosoupforme 3,085]

I don't know where else on the ground that Oscar can play. His kicking to position is not precise most of the time playing on the forward line you need to use brains to out smart you oposite and pull down marks for his size in packs.  Expect to get a good knock in the head every now and then which won't please him.

I suspect he could be used in the Backline when we are desperate again however you will have to wait your turn Oscar as Frosty is entrenched there and  Harrison Petty has now gone past you.   Sorry  No Vacancies.

Edited June 23, 2019 by nosoupforme

[Demon Disciple 12,122]

Should be made to work extremely hard to find his way back into the team.

I'd even propose not playing him for the rest of the year to really create a hunger in him over pre-season to force his way back in.

Clean up the sub-standard disposal, develop more aggression instead of remaining passive, and for the love of god kick the lackadaisical attitude to the curb. 

No he's never going to have the footy sense of a Lever, or the disposal and aggression of a May, but a C-class player giving 100% effort is more valuable to a team than an A-grader turning in half arsed performances.

[DeeSpencer 25,684]

58 minutes ago, Mach5 said:

I’d see Frost go before Oscar.

Key tall defenders will be May, Lever, Petty with Oscar as depth.

Petty and Lever are both interceptors, as is Hore. Plus they want to use May in a role that sees him get up the ground and in to play.

If Petty takes a big step forward with a summer of fitness/strength and speed work that might work but I'd be surprised if that's the case so soon. If he holds his current form I think it will be Frost alongside May, allowing Lever and Hore the freedom to play on lesser forwards so they can attack the game.

That said, Frosty's contract might be a difficult one. I want him signed up but for the right price/years.

[Adzman 2,154]

Given he is contracted and out fitness team seem to manage injuries like Dr Nick Riviera from the Simpsons, I would suggest we will see big OMac a few more times before his contract expires at the end of next season.

 

[Bates Mate 4,486]

I put a line though him after the Adelaide game. I gave him plenty of chances before that. Petty is a better prospect and will be a player

Edited June 23, 2019 by Bates Mate

[Little Goffy 14,525]

Depth tall defender, currently out of form, has shown better form in past. Not one you'd expect to cut from the list but also not, on any recent showings, one you'd expect to be pushing for senior selection unless there were injuries opening the door for him.

And is there any chance people can accept that is where he is at without trying to pin every frick'n loss and stuff up in our entire season on him personally? Doesn't look like it, there will always be some with a bit of the 'ol predatory self-esteem.

[Deefender 232]

Oscar will be a big man and  big men need time to mature.

He will hits his straps in a year or two and will be a seriously formidable player. Patience my friends.

 

 

 

[dazzledavey36 54,873]

2 minutes ago, deefender said:

Oscar will be a big man and  big men need time to mature.

He will hits his straps in a year or two and will be a seriously formidable player. Patience my friends.

 

 

 

@stevethemanjordan

[dee-tox 4,835]

2 minutes ago, deefender said:

Oscar will be a big man and  big men need time to mature.

He will hits his straps in a year or two and will be a seriously formidable player. Patience my friends.

 

 

 

Maybe you are right Deefender, but I wonder even in a couple of years whether he can be a gorilla tamer or the hard running tall in the Lever mode that we need. But I like your positivity!

[Wells 11 5,399]

 

10 minutes ago, deefender said:

Oscar will be a big man and  big men need time to mature.

He will hits his straps in a year or two and will be a seriously formidable player. Patience my friends.

 

 

 

The dees have got to make a few big calls this off season. Oscar will be line ball. But you may well be right. 

[Mach5 4,767]

40 minutes ago, DeeSpencer said:

Petty and Lever are both interceptors, as is Hore. Plus they want to use May in a role that sees him get up the ground and in to play.

If Petty takes a big step forward with a summer of fitness/strength and speed work that might work but I'd be surprised if that's the case so soon. If he holds his current form I think it will be Frost alongside May, allowing Lever and Hore the freedom to play on lesser forwards so they can attack the game.

That said, Frosty's contract might be a difficult one. I want him signed up but for the right price/years.

Petty can take intercept marks, but I wouldn’t put him in the category of “interceptor” (and it is becoming less common with the advent of 6-6-6) and I think he’ll develop into much much more.

I’m happy when Frost has been pushed out of the side again. His athleticism is an asset, but he makes so many mistakes with the footy in hand that it catches the opposition off-guard when he selects a good option and executes.

 

[stevethemanjordan 6,952]

10 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

@stevethemanjordan

Yeh look, I hardly need to add anything. I called for this years ago. We now have two quality defenders in May and Lever at the club, it's just a pity about Lever's injury luck and May's early mishap. 

Oscar is now out of the side which was inevitable given the level he was playing at. I hope he improves and of course he'll be handy at VFL level but enough about Oscar. It was always coming. 

We have other things to worry about now. 

[dieter 3,325]

2 hours ago, Satyriconhome said:

Ho and hum    usual experts  sorry posters in this thread

Well said!

[dieter 3,325]

I recall that towards the end of 2018 Oscar played a prominent role in Melbourne's charge towards a Prelim. He - like a thousand others - has struggled this year and I really dislike the animosity and antipathy shown towards him. If you were a newcomer to this site you'd assume he was a junkie recidivist or a Muslim Terrorist or a totally uncoordinated twit.

Get a grip, you armchair heroes, throw away your blinkers and take what it is for what it is. 

Just for the record, I'm all for Harry Petty. However, all I saw from watching the replay of yesterday's game is a very talented young man who turned over just about every possession he fought so valiantly to get. That's okay, he's playing his fourth AFL game. In the meantime, I read repeated ejaculations of displeasure about Wagner who time and time again simply puts in and pours his guts out for the Melbourne Footy Club. Be kind, be gentle you armchair morons, playing AFL is harder than any of you might imagine. 

In the meantime, I have total faith that Oscar will prove all of you wrong. 

I remind you James Sicily had a similar status at Hawthorn. I don't like that boy very much, but given time, he's prospered.

[dl4e 5,851]

Is Oscar injured ? If not why not playing at Casey ?

[Lord Nev 13,512]

Don't understand threads like this one and the ANB one. We have more than 40+ players on our list and I don't see us using the same 22 every week for a whole season. Depth and development have been the things we've bemoaned so much about our club but then as soon as a bloke is out of the 'best 22' people are wanting them delisted and the like.

Oscar might develop into a great spoiling backman and help us succeed, or he may just steady the ship when needed as a backup player (and help us succeed), and his contract status and opportunity will be determined by how he performs within that framework. It's not a matter of either 'he'll be a star' or 'he'll be delisted', there's so much space in between those things.

Out of all the years for people to struggle with the concept of depth, who would have thought it would be this year.

 

[Diamond_Jim 12,571]

Just now, dl4e said:

Is Oscar injured ? If not why not playing at Casey ?

I think it's part of player management. They did the same with Spargo.

It's a big drop and takes time. It's the new football and if there is no pressure finals wise.. I have no issue

[dazzledavey36 54,873]

35 minutes ago, dieter said:

I recall that towards the end of 2018 Oscar played a prominent role in Melbourne's charge towards a Prelim. He - like a thousand others - has struggled this year and I really dislike the animosity and antipathy shown towards him. If you were a newcomer to this site you'd assume he was a junkie recidivist or a Muslim Terrorist or a totally uncoordinated twit.

Get a grip, you armchair heroes, throw away your blinkers and take what it is for what it is. 

Just for the record, I'm all for Harry Petty. However, all I saw from watching the replay of yesterday's game is a very talented young man who turned over just about every possession he fought so valiantly to get. That's okay, he's playing his fourth AFL game. In the meantime, I read repeated ejaculations of displeasure about Wagner who time and time again simply puts in and pours his guts out for the Melbourne Footy Club. Be kind, be gentle you armchair morons, playing AFL is harder than any of you might imagine. 

In the meantime, I have total faith that Oscar will prove all of you wrong. 

I remind you James Sicily had a similar status at Hawthorn. I don't like that boy very much, but given time, he's prospered.

No he didn't 

[binman 42,908]

1 hour ago, Wells 11 said:

 

The dees have got to make a few big calls this off season. Oscar will be line ball. But you may well be right. 

Omac has a contract for 2020. Not going  anywhere. He will be back in the ones soon enough.

[Pottsydee 153]

I'm being re-traumatised

[dazzledavey36 54,873]

1 hour ago, stevethemanjordan said:

Yeh look, I hardly need to add anything. I called for this years ago. We now have two quality defenders in May and Lever at the club, it's just a pity about Lever's injury luck and May's early mishap. 

Oscar is now out of the side which was inevitable given the level he was playing at. I hope he improves and of course he'll be handy at VFL level but enough about Oscar. It was always coming. 

We have other things to worry about now. 

So did I. There are no coincidence that we chased after May and Lever because the club saw that our defence was our weakest point. Even when Oscar was being a regular starter each week.

And if we go by the media reports that we are chasing Alex Keath then what else does that explain.

Once May and Lever are up and running along with Hore and Frost then Oscar will be playing at Casey. That's football.

Some players are simply better then others and thats why Lever May and Frost are all ahead of him.

Edited June 23, 2019 by dazzledavey36

[DeeSpencer 25,684]

59 minutes ago, dieter said:

 

I remind you James Sicily had a similar status at Hawthorn. I don't like that boy very much, but given time, he's prospered.

Where what and when?

First two years in the VFL as a forward showing rapid improvement. Then a season in 2016 typical of a young forward that was wildly inconsistent but still managed 30 goals!

Maybe for a brief period in 2017 but since then he's been a super talented if somewhat unusual defender.

http://www.aflplayerratings.com.au/Ratings/Player/117738/James-SICILY

A far better Hawthorn comparison would be Kaiden Brand or even Tim O'Brien

[Moonshadow 17,676]

Last of Oscar?

Why, because we don't need depth? Because if the last couple of years hasn't shown us enough that back up players will regularly get games and need to be developed?

Many were calling for Frost's axing 12-18 months ago, before that it was Harmes, 2 months ago it was Weid.

Omac isn't as good as May or Lever, but he can improve and is only 23.

[censored] me, some people have short vision!

[DeeSpencer 25,684]

1 hour ago, Mach5 said:

Petty can take intercept marks, but I wouldn’t put him in the category of “interceptor” (and it is becoming less common with the advent of 6-6-6) and I think he’ll develop into much much more.

I’m happy when Frost has been pushed out of the side again. His athleticism is an asset, but he makes so many mistakes with the footy in hand that it catches the opposition off-guard when he selects a good option and executes.

 

I just think Petty's lack of speed and for now strength will see him more as an up the ground defender. If your forward and midfield pressure is always great then you can get away with a guy like him deep but if we're playing a more open style I think a defender who can win a one on one in space with closing speed is vital. That can be May, and maybe it can be Hibberd and Jetta as well or another medium/small, but yesterday the ability to have Frost or May play the sweeping role and close down opponents was really valuable.

I've actually been super impressed by Frost's skills this year in that his handballing seems vastly improved as does his kicking. Far more technically sound skills increases the chances of the ball getting where it needs to go. I know it's a low bar for a professional footballer but the heart in mouth of Frost was probably 50/50 decision making and execution. More often than not now if he picks out a simple kick he'll hit it.

The decision making still needs to improve but I wonder how much that could improve by continuity with the same team mates. 

That said, I'm keen to see more of Petty. Right now I've got him as promising depth to cover Hore or Lever short term who could be more in the medium term. If he picks up the pace of the game quicker than I've thought and can start taking some of the strong intercept marks I've been at Casey at times then he'll go back up in my estimations. 

[Buzzy 992]

Hore has shown that there a VFL players out there that are clearly better than Oscar.

I'd rather we start a new project than waste a list spot on him.

I'm supremely confident it won't come back to bite us if we nip this in the bud now.