THE DEMON SOLAR SYSTEM - 2006 PLAYER RANKINGS

[Demonland 66,548]

by Whispering Jack

It hasn't taken very long at all for the 2006 season to fade away into history. The premiership cup has done its rounds out west, the AFL clubs have had their best and fairest counts, the draft camp came and went, everyone's building up for the usual trade week hype with a few boring days to come in which nothing happens before a flurry of late activity, followed by the drafts and pre-season training and before we know it, the Wizard Cup will be upon us. In the meantime, we can reflect for a few months on what might have been had we been able to kick that extra goal against the Crows and the extra point against the Cats!

But it's all over. Done and dusted till next year and all we have left apart from the memories is a list of the 44 players who either represented Melbourne or Sandringham or both this year. Some of them, like our Keith "Bluey" Truscott Memorial Trophy winner James McDonald and continually improving defender Nathan Carroll rose in stature in 2006 while others like the injury hit Clint Bizzell and Alistair Nicholson dropped well down in our estimation.

Some of the younger group like Brock McLean, Matthew Bate and newcomer Clint Bartram and later Nathan Jones really stood up, others like Lynden Dunn and Matthew Warnock showed promise while Colin Sylvia and Brent Moloney failed to step up to the plate. There were reasons for their disappointments of course, but the fact remains that these players did not meet the expectations we had for them this time last year.

It has been said for a long time that Melbourne doesn't have the stars that some of the other clubs have and that the lack of "star" quality is holding the Demons back. Indeed, in 2006 it was noticeable that some of the players who most closely approximated star status are showing signs of age – Jeff White, Adem Yze and Russell Robertson are seemingly on the decline. However, not so the skipper David Neitz who rose to the occasion many times during the year and who might well set an example for the others to rise again.

That leaves Cameron Bruce and Travis Johnstone circling our closest star (the sun) but not quite at absolute star quality and a fair bit behind supernova Chris Judd. They might well make it yet but they still need to step up a notch.

But if we're searching for a future star at Melbourne then we have to look more closely at our young up and comers like Brock McLean who isn't far off already (perhaps approaching Mercury) or Jared Rivers (somewhere around Venus). That's a lot better than being somewhere near Pluto which this year even lost its status as a planet. It's mighty cold out there but I have a feeling that Nick Smith and Shannon Motlop might be in that unwanted region of space.

If there is one encouraging sign on the "stardom stage" it's the fact that Melbourne's younger brigade showed in 2006 that it has the ability to hold its own in AFL company. We can look forward with eager interest to see how the likes of McLean, Bate, Bartram, Sylvia, C Johnson, Bell, Dunn, Moloney and others develop in the next couple of seasons. I have this feeling that we won't be complaining about a lack of star players at the club in two year's time.

In the meantime however, I've tackled the task of composing my list of the top 44 players at the Melbourne Football Club in order again. My 2006 rankings are based on where I see the players at this particular juncture and it isn't supposed to be a best and fairest list. Usually the best and fairest player is the one who has managed to play a full season. That's not taking anything away from James McDonald who was a runaway winner in Melbourne’s award. I think he was great but I still rank Cameron Bruce as my top player.

Still, I was most surprised when I compared my list to the club's top ten placegetters in the Keith 'Bluey' Truscott Trophy to see that my top ten matched – not in order but every one of them was there: -

1 James McDonald - 464 votes

2 Cameron Bruce - 317

3 Brock McLean - 303

4 David Neitz - 290

5 Brad Green - 259

6 Nathan Carroll - 257

7 Matthew Whelan - 250

8 Jared Rivers - 224

9 Jeff White - 204

10 Travis Johnstone – 197

Not that this fact will keep the critics at bay. I have no doubt that there will be debate about the rankings so is my usual word of warning about them - they are the personal opinion of one individual and I would never expect everybody to agree with them.

1. Cameron Bruce [5 in 2005] - was the club's outstanding player throughout the year playing in a number of roles from attacking midfielder to tagging defender. He had great versatility, skills and leadership ability although he slipped a little at the end of the season when his disposal skills seemed to desert him.

[Number 32, Height 190cm, Weight 88kg, Date of Birth 30.09.79, Debut in AFL, 2000, From MELBOURNE SUPP, Games 2006 - 24, Total Games - 146, Goals 2006 - 21, Total Goals 173]

2. Travis Johnstone [2] - has been a far more consistent player over the past two seasons. He has great ball getting ability, poise and balance and is deadly with his passing of the football. His decision-making is often breathtaking. Travis' input dropped markedly after injuring his hamstring late in the season but notwithstanding that, it was a bit surprising to see him finish only 10th in the "Bluey".

[16, 186, 85, 17.07.80, 1998, DANDENONG U18, 22, 145,10, 104]

3. Brock McLean [15] - there were eyebrows raised when he was selected at #5 in the 2003 National Draft but he continues to display the temperament, talent and leadership ability that you dream of in a young player. He has "leadership" written all over him and is destined for number one in the near future.

[5, 184, 85, 11.03.86, 2004, CALDER U18, 18, 47, 14, 25]

4. James McDonald [13] - a worthy club champion who upped his already considerable work rate to become # 1 tackler in the competition. Over the years he has been the epitome of the unobtrusive, hard working unobtrusive midfielder but this year, he finally achieved recognition and All Australian status. All credit to Junior.

[23, 180, 78, 05.10.76, 1997, OLD XAVERIANS, 24, 177, 6, 45]

5. David Neitz [7] - came back from an injury-plagued 2006 to defy age and gravity and move up the scale to fifth place on my rankings. He booted 68 goals, picked up Brownlow votes and definitely had an impact on the forward line which was much needed in view of Robbo's decline. I asked last year whether it was time for Neita to consider giving away the captaincy in order to concentrate more on his own game but he was neither lacking in form or leadership in 2006.

[9, 193, 100, 22.01.75, 1993, PARKMORE, 21, 286, 68, 602]

6. Brad Green [6] - a very solid season where he developed as a prolific possession winner in the midfield. Showed great leadership and used his head well all year except for that one brain fade against the Dockers which saw him suspended for head butting.

[18, 184, 85, 13.03.81, 2000, TASSIE U18, 23, 148, 11, 194]

7. Jeff White [1] - I still rate him highly as a ruckman but time is moving on and the centre circle rule has made life hard for 195 cm players of his ilk, especially when he comes across monsters like Dean Cox freaks like Aaron Sandilands. Had more help in the ruck and wasn't required to cope all day as in past years but we can't expect him to be as prolific around the ground as he was when in his early to mid-twenties.

[34, 195, 98, 19.02.77, 1995, FREMANTLE (AFL), 24, 231, 11, 99]

8. Matthew Whelan [10] - I think we all underestimate this bloke's coolness in defence and importance to the club. That fact was brought home clearly when he missed the semi final against Fremantle with a shoulder injury.

[45, 180, 83, 13.11.79, 2000, W'VILLE-WT (SA), 19, 123, 3, 13]

9. Jared Rivers [17] - one of the leaders of the Demon defence, Rivers is a stylish footballer who has great courage, skill and maturity. I'm confident that he will become a genuine champion (star) in coming seasons.

[27, 192, 85, 18.10.84, 2003, N. ADELAIDE (SA), 22, 61, 4, 4]

10. Nathan Carroll [20] - I don't know if it was the "Chopper Read" image or just the moustache but Carroll continued on with his rapid development as a strong full back to the extent that he was spoken of in some circles as a possible All Australian.

[41, 191, 91, 20.10.80, 2003, CLAREMONT (WA), 24, 41, 1, 1]

11. Aaron Davey [11] - at times, Davey was absolutely stunning with his speed, ball handling, his defensive and his prowess around the goals. However, at other times, he showed a lack of temperament and he was disappointing late in the season. Perhaps, I'm just a hard judge but I think he has much more in him than he displayed in the latter half of the season.

[36, 177, 72, 10.06.83, 2004, PORT MELBOURNE (VFL), 22, 64, 37, 95]

12. Adem Yze [4] - this is the first time I've ranked Adem Yze outside the top ten and that is despite the fact that he was still a prolific kick winner this year. At times, he was absolutely brilliant but he also went missing too often in the clinches for mine. At the age of 29 he still has much to contribute to the club and will probably break the club's games record. However, I think it’s time for the Ooze to reinvent himself in a new role.

[13, 187, 87, 21.09.77, 1995, MURRAY U18, 24, 257, 30, 225]

13. Byron Pickett [new] the Byronator added a fair bit of excitement and a lot of hardness into the Melbourne side – particularly in the first half of the season. His mere presence on the field put pressure on opposition players and made many of teammates stand tall. However, following a hamstring injury his condition and effectiveness tapered off. He will have to work hard to get to peak fitness for next season.

[33, 178, 86, 11.08.77, 1997, PORT ADELAIDE (AFL) 20, 195, 9, 170]

14. Russell Robertson [3] - I'm stunned about the fact that he kicked 44 goals this season because I can't recall him playing all that well in many games after his stellar 2005 season. Apart from that brilliant game when he took 15 marks and kicked four goals against Richmond, he was generally disappointing and well below his exciting best. I'm thinking that maybe he should have been rested or had an operation rather than continue to play when so obviously restricted by injury.

[24, 184, 90, 24.11.78, 1997, TASSIE U18, 23, 190, 44, 343]

15. Matthew Bate [35] - progressed as well as any other youngster on the list. From the moment he made his senior AFL debut it was clear that this player has the size, the run and the versatility to be anything at the club. The sky's the limit!

[6, 191, 88, 24.05.87, 2006, EASTERN U18, 14,14, 8, 8]

16. Brad Miller [12] - never really got going until the final game when he played a blinder up forward in a losing team at Subiaco. He was shunted around the ground from key back to key forward and a stupid jumper punch in mid season saw him miss two games through suspension and then have to come back the hard way through Sandringham before he earned a senior spot. Hopefully, he takes note of that salutary lesson and knuckles down to playing good football and earning his leadership role at the club.

[7, 192, 91, 06.07.83, 2002, MT. GRAVATT (Q), 15, 75, 4, 24]

17. Mark Jamar [21] - shared the ruck duties with Jeff White in almost equal proportions and while his ruck work came on well and he took the occasional good mark when played up forward, he doesn't do enough around the ground for mine.

[40, 198, 98, 09.08.83, 2003, N. ADELAIDE (SA), 22, 42, 10, 13]

18. Ben Holland [22] - worked his way into a regular position as the big, tall defender and even improved his kicking to an extent. Was really useful against talls like Rocca and the G-Train in midseason but his lack of run was exposed in the finals.

[4, 198, 101, 10.05.77, 1996, RICHMOND (AFL) 16, 179, 1, 164]

19. Daniel Bell [19] - had an up and down year but showed some great signs when he fought his way back into the side late in the season and played some very good games in defence.

[21, 186, 83, 13.04.85, 2004, GLENELG (SA), 12, 28, 0, 0]

20. Colin Sylvia [23] - shows that he has the talent but after a fine start, he never rose above the ordinary for someone who shows all the hallmarks of becoming a top line performer.

[12, 184, 85, 08.11.85, 2004, BENDIGO U18, 17, 36, 10, 19]

21. Daniel Ward [31] - I thought he was finished twelve months ago but he came into the side and stood up when needed to produce his best form in the past four or five years.

[10, 185, 84, 09.07.77, 1998, FITZROY (SUPP.), 17, 118, 3, 28]

22. Clint Bartram [new] - a wonderful debut season for this youngster who was plucked up at #60 in last year's National Draft and wasn't really expected to play much of a role at Melbourne this year. Such was his progression that he ended up tagging some of the champions of our game and making a good fist of it most of the time.

[19, 181, 73, 16.02.88, 2006, GEELONG U18, 22, 22, 6, 6]

23. Nathan Brown [8] - struggled with injury and seems to have lost a bit of his dash as he approaches the end of his career. Showed his class however, with a good performance when called up for the semi final.

[25, 180, 81, 14.08.76, 1998, W. ADELAIDE (SA), 9, 127, 3, 33]

24. Chris Johnson [33] - had his share of injuries in 2004 and worked hard to make his debut against the Hawks at the MCG. His debut game wasn't much to write home about - he was reported and narrowly missed suspension - but he made rapid improvement as the season went on and won himself a few more games. A definite prospect.

[17, 189, 79, 25.01.86, 2005, E. F'MANTLE (WA), 9, 13, 0, 0]

25. Nathan Jones - a young up and coming midfielder who took his chance when it came and played some strong football for one so young. Heaps of promise for the future.

[2, 179, 85, 20.01.78, 2006, DANDEONG U18, 8, 8, 2, 2]

26. Lynden Dunn [38] - came on in leaps and bounds this year after being on the fringe of Sandringham senior selection last year. He needs to add a bit of muscle to match it with the stronger types at AFL level but, all in all, 2006 was a pleasing year in the development of this promising youngster.

[14, 192, 90, 14.05.87, 2006, CALDER U18, 11,11,13, 13]

27. Simon Godfrey [28] - probably had his best season gaining regular selection for 16 games this season. He makes up for his lack of skill in ball delivery and sometimes decision-making with total commitment to his team but that however, wasn't deemed enough when the finals came around. Godders can only really be regarded as a back up player at best.

[30, 184, 86, 18.10.80, 2000, MELBOURNE SUPP, 16, 88, 4, 16]

28. Ryan Ferguson [24] - I know I shouldn't be saying this but he probably has too much courage for his own good. His season was again plagued by injury to the point where he was restricted to just three games. However, late in the season, showed how good he was with some terrific performances in the finals for Sandringham.

[35, 195, 87, 29.09.81, 2003, FRANKSTON (VFL), 3, 39, 0, 4]

29. Brent Moloney [9] - slipped off the radar because of injury. Hopefully, a return to health and a good pre season will see him return to his regular position in the Demon midfield.

[22, 181, 88, 28.01.84, 2003, GEELONG (AFL), 7, 51, 1, 9]

30. Paul Wheatley [14] - suffered a couple of injuries during the season but came back to play well in the Zebra premiership side. His career is at the crossroads.

[31, 189, 90, 12.04.81, 2000, PRESTON U18, 7, 99, 1, 27]

31. Paul Johnson [27] - a shoulder injury early in the season followed the need for a reconstruction after he broke down on the comeback trail at Sandringham prematurely ended the 2005 JJ Liston Trophy winner's season after showing some early promise.

[11, 199, 106, 26.06.84, 2004, WEST COAST (AFL), 2, 11, 2, 2]

32. Clint Bizzell [18] - played one terrific practice match late in the pre season against the Kangaroos but was injured in that game. The injury was diagnosed as a break and that kept him out for most of the season but he showed some good signs late in the season with Sandringham and played an important role in that club’s premiership defence.

[188, 89, 28.06.76, 1996, GEELONG (AFL), 0, 153, 0, 79]

33. Phil Read [30] - managed just 5 games at top level this year but starred with Zebras where he had a stellar finals series. Judging by his comments when he won the Norm Goss Trophy for best afield in the VFL Grand Final, I don't think he believes he has much of a future left at AFL level. Winner of the Sandy Best & Fairest for 2006.

[28, 180, 80, 20.10.79, 1998, WEST COAST (AFL), 5, 108, 1, 32]

34. Matthew Warnock (rookie) [37] - promoted from the rookie list for a couple of early games in defence. Was also knocking on the door around finals time and should be promoted to the senior list for 2007.

[37, 192, 88, 03.04.84, 2006, SANDRINGHAM (VFL), 2, 2, 0, 0]

35. Alistair Nicholson [16] - injured again early in the season and took a long time to get back. Looks to have lost a yard in pace and that's probably fatal for a big bloke like him the way football is played today. Has another year of his contract to go but I don't see him playing much AFL football at Melbourne with the advent of Benny Holland and Nathan Carroll in defence.

[8, 197, 102, 04.03.78, 1997, CLAREMONT (WA), 0, 110, 0, 3]

36. Shannon Motlop [26] - form at AFL level was patchy although he was good at VFL level. A likely delisting or trade.

[44,182, 88, 18.08.78, 1999, N. ADELAIDE (SA), 3, 64, 0, 36]

37. Nick Smith [36] - played his first AFL game in three seasons in the semi final against the Dockers but had little game time. Had difficulty throughout the season in convincing the selectors that he was worthy of a place in the AFL and would be lucky to hold a place on the list for next year.

[15, 196, 97, 27.08.84, 2003, NORWOOD (SA), 1, 4, 0, 0]

38. Shane Neaves (rookie) [new] - big lad who took the first ruck spot at Sandringham and, although somewhat inconsistent, showed a great deal of promise.

[39, 199, 90, 11.05.87, *, CALDER U18, 0, 0, 0, 0]

39. Michael Newton [39] - showed definite ability on the odd occasion when he found himself in the Zebra seniors. Last year it was injury and this year lack of opportunity prevented him from establishing himself there. Kicked a few bags at full forward for the reserves and would be hoping to make 2007 his break through year.

[29, 193, 88, 27.04.87, *, MURRAY U18, 0, 0, 0, 0]

40. Daniel Hughes (rookie) [new] - developed well at Sandringham and put in some very promising performances as a medium sized goal kicking forward whose strength is his marking. A six-goal haul in Tasmania was his best for the year.

[38, 186, 82, 10.12.86, *, SANDRINGHAM (VFL), 0, 0, 0, 0]

41. Simon Buckley [new] - showed some early flashes of brilliance with Sandy but was later dropped to the reserves. Played well in his only finals game in the Zebra seniors.

[1, 189, 81, 18.04.87, *, SANDRINGHAM U18, 0, 0, 0, 0]

42. Heath Neville [new] - plagued by osteitis pubis for all of the pre season and managed fourteen games with the Zebra reserves before breaking down.

[26, 1869, 83, 02.02.88, *, CLARENCE (TAS), 0, 0, 0, 0]

43. Jace Bode (rookie) [new] - started in the Sandringham reserves and played five senior games with the Zebras later in the season without setting the world on fire.

[43, 183, 80, 14.09.87, *, GLENELG (SA), 0, 0, 0, 0]

44. Andre Gianfagna (rookie) [new] - spent all bar one game in the Zebra reserves and missed the latter part of the season with a shoulder injury.

[42, 182, 80, 04.12.87, *, NORTHERN U18, 0, 0, 0, 0]