Jump to content

Aaron vandenBerg

Bobby McKenzie
Bobby McKenzie
in Melbourne Demons

Featured Replies

2 minutes ago, Lord Travis said:

Nothing. He’s not in full training and is still recovering from another surgery. He went back to NSW for a bit too. I doubt he’ll ever pull on red and blue again.

I like what he brings to the team, but if you can’t get on the park then you’re a waste of a list spot.

Could not agree more LT it is just such a shame as he is genuine talent.

  • Quote
    • Like 1
     

    Forget what he brings with his superb tackling and grunt - even if it comes with some shoddy kicking and decision making - he's proven capable of playing on the wing when so many others on the list can't and he's been part of a run of terrible injuries at that position.

    Vanders - out for the year with the foot
    Fritsch - needed to play back and now forward
    KK  - missed pretty much all year with groin/concussion/concussion
    Stretch - foot
    JKH - misses the first 10 weeks with a knee
    Even young Nietschke who might've been an option did an ACL

    The best thing to see before this year was Fritsch and KK nailing inside 50 kicks on the wings in match simulation and knowing Vanders could provide that big body to rotate on the wing, forward and on ball. None of that's come true.

  • Quote
    • Like 3
    2 hours ago, picket fence said:

    Time to Delist, can't keep hoping he will come good! Big cleanout coming im anticipating! Stretch, ANB, AVB KK

    Oscar, Keilty, Tim Smith, maybe one or two others. Id keep Jeffy for one more year!

    ANB and KK have 2 more years on their contracts after this year, they wont be delisted. Agreed on Jeffy. Add JKH to the list, he needs to go ASAP. Absolute dead wood dud.

  • Quote
    • Like 1
     
    1 hour ago, Moonshadow said:

    How hard would it be for the club to upload a 10 sec clip of him running in a straight line in rehab? Would lift the spirits of supporters.

    Assuming he's running, that is.... ?

    just film it in slow motion a bit like the $6m man would.

  • Quote
    • Haha 2

    In an ideal world where does Vanders fit within our forward/centre mix?

    If we're to bounce back next year we need our core players playing to their best level or living up to potential. That means TMac and Weid at one and two up front, or a replacement/reshuffling of one of those (not AVB). Plus Petracca. Still waiting but probably ahead of AVB nonetheless. And Garlett. Likely on the way out but we need to find a replacement genuine small with a similar skill-set (not AVB). Fritsch we all agree is back where he belongs. Melksham: one of our most important and missed play-makers this year.

    That makes six.

    Then: resting mid/ruck. And the raft of other mediums. Smith, Smith, Hannan (most of us I imagine would see potential in at least one those as greater than AVB). And the Hunt question. We've tended toward a fleet of mediums in recent years, but I think we need to move back to specialists and a 2/2/2 mix. So two keys, two mediums that can play tall/small, and two genuine smalls. See West Coast.

    That equals (with some personnel replaceable) Tmac & Weid  - Melksham/Petracca/Fritsch - Garlett & x up front. In the middle - Oliver, Viney, Brayshaw & Harmes - plus an new outsider, wings and running half-backs (not AVB).

    I've mentioned plenty of times that I saw huge potential after AVB dominated as a CHF in one preseason game, but where does Aaron fit now? It would have to be at the expense of one of Petracca, Milkshake or Fritter in my mind, and then be ahead of the Smiths and Hannan. Is he good enough?

     

  • Quote
    • Like 1

    3 hours ago, Moonshadow said:

    Time for you to understand how footy lists work picket. Delisting a player with 2 years remaining on their contract would waste a lot of our cap space. Will not happen. He'd need to be traded, and who's take a racehorse with 3 legs?

    Perhaps medical retirement.. done often..simply requires AFL approval and the pay out is mainly outside the cap as I understand it.

    7 games in 3 years gets you to first base at the very least.

    Edited by Diamond_Jim

  • Quote
    7 minutes ago, Diamond_Jim said:

    medical retirement.. done frequently..simply requires AFL approval and the pay out is mainly outside the cap.

    7 games in 3 years gets you to first base at the very least.

    Look I reckon AVB is a serious serious talent, KK a very good player. But too many concussion issues

    Shheit its a hard one!

    BUT if medical issues ensue then we Must look after player first!

    Then if it comes down to it Medical Retirement

    In KK case sheeit if he were my son I would not want to see him play again!

    Hope I'm not being too melodramatic!

  • Quote
    6 minutes ago, picket fence said:

    Look I reckon AVB is a serious serious talent, KK a very good player. But too many concussion issues

    Shheit its a hard one!

    BUT if medical issues ensue then we Must look after player first!

    Then if it comes down to it Medical Retirement

    In KK case sheeit if he were my son I would not want to see him play again!

    Hope I'm not being too melodramatic!

    Fence, if you weren't being melodramatic I suspect most would think your account had been hacked

    SHEEEIT

  • Quote
    • Haha 4
     
    19 minutes ago, picket fence said:

    Look I reckon AVB is a serious serious talent, KK a very good player. But too many concussion issues

    Shheit its a hard one!

    BUT if medical issues ensue then we Must look after player first!

    Then if it comes down to it Medical Retirement

    In KK case sheeit if he were my son I would not want to see him play again!

    Hope I'm not being too melodramatic!

    Not at all! 

    ?

  • Quote
    38 minutes ago, Skuit said:

    It would have to be at the expense of one of Petracca, Milkshake or Fritter in my mind, and then be ahead of the Smiths and Hannan. Is he good enough?

    You've got rotations off the bench, Melk can play up the ground on a wing, off HB or through the middle, Trac through the middle, Fritsch is our 3rd tall not sure who the other 2 are as yet and I rate AVB ahead of the Smiths and Hannan.

    ...but history shows it's unlikely he will get back on the park.

  • Quote

    How hard is it to just not train him so hard, he's not made of glass right?

  • Quote

    Another tragi - comedy that is the unlucky, MFCSS...

    1. Warren Dean

    2. Jackovich

    3. Jurrah 

    4. Wonna 

    5. Tingay 

    6. Clark

    7. Scwhatta

    8. Charles

    Add to the list...

  • Quote
    • Like 1
    4 minutes ago, jumbo returns said:

    Another tragi - comedy that is the unlucky, MFCSS...

    1. Warren Dean

    2. Jackovich

    3. Jurrah 

    4. Wonna 

    5. Tingay 

    6. Clark

    7. Scwhatta

    8. Charles

    Add to the list...

    Sean Charles was a serious talent, people forget what a freak of nature he was. I've still not seen some modern players do what he could do. He was Jurrah before Jurrah.

    When you look at that list, it's easy to see why our last premiership was in 64.

  • Quote
    • Like 2
    1 hour ago, Diamond_Jim said:

    Perhaps medical retirement.. done often..simply requires AFL approval and the pay out is mainly outside the cap as I understand it.

    7 games in 3 years gets you to first base at the very least.

    Not sure about that, I think you have to fit most of it in the salary cap if you want the list spot. With 2 years left on his contract Vanders might well be redrafted the rookie list even if he does retire in order to spread the payments. If that's the case unless he really is done and happy to call it you might as well keep him on the list and can then put him on the inactive list prior to the season or prior to the mid season draft. 

    All in all it's probably better to give him the summer to see if he gets right.

  • Quote
    21 minutes ago, rjay said:

    You've got rotations off the bench, Melk can play up the ground on a wing, off HB or through the middle, Trac through the middle, Fritsch is our 3rd tall not sure who the other 2 are as yet and I rate AVB ahead of the Smiths and Hannan.

    ...but history shows it's unlikely he will get back on the park.

    I rarely criticise the current MFC but if I was to choose one beef it would our drafting of supposedly flexible players - I think a hangover from the necessity of the Roos era. JKH is a prime example. A forward/mid who isn't much chop in either part of the ground. I'm sure he was drafted as a forward who could run through, yet in his entire time with the MFC he's managed a grand total of 12 goals from 36 games. Not cool. Also not cool, draft revisionism, but Ben Brown and Orazio Fantasia were selected after JHK as specialists. They've kicked a combined 375 goals since. I like multi-positional players but banking on Melk, Fritter and CP5 to run through the middle or on the wing is in my opinion a poor strategy (outside or bursts). Especially in respect to finding a place for AVB.

  • Quote
    • Like 1
    • Sad 1

    1 hour ago, picket fence said:

    Look I reckon AVB is a serious serious talent, KK a very good player. But too many concussion issues

    Shheit its a hard one!

    BUT if medical issues ensue then we Must look after player first!

    Then if it comes down to it Medical Retirement

    In KK case sheeit if he were my son I would not want to see him play again!

    Hope I'm not being too melodramatic!

    Sobering thought.

  • Quote
    2 hours ago, Skuit said:

    In an ideal world where does Vanders fit within our forward/centre mix?

    If we're to bounce back next year we need our core players playing to their best level or living up to potential. That means TMac and Weid at one and two up front, or a replacement/reshuffling of one of those (not AVB). Plus Petracca. Still waiting but probably ahead of AVB nonetheless. And Garlett. Likely on the way out but we need to find a replacement genuine small with a similar skill-set (not AVB). Fritsch we all agree is back where he belongs. Melksham: one of our most important and missed play-makers this year.

    That makes six.

    Then: resting mid/ruck. And the raft of other mediums. Smith, Smith, Hannan (most of us I imagine would see potential in at least one those as greater than AVB). And the Hunt question. We've tended toward a fleet of mediums in recent years, but I think we need to move back to specialists and a 2/2/2 mix. So two keys, two mediums that can play tall/small, and two genuine smalls. See West Coast.

    That equals (with some personnel replaceable) Tmac & Weid  - Melksham/Petracca/Fritsch - Garlett & x up front. In the middle - Oliver, Viney, Brayshaw & Harmes - plus an new outsider, wings and running half-backs (not AVB).

    I've mentioned plenty of times that I saw huge potential after AVB dominated as a CHF in one preseason game, but where does Aaron fit now? It would have to be at the expense of one of Petracca, Milkshake or Fritter in my mind, and then be ahead of the Smiths and Hannan. Is he good enough?

     

    A fully fit AvB plays where ever the hell he likes, because the guy is a dead set bull.  I'm more than happy to have the problem of who misses out.

  • Quote
    • Like 2

    Unrelated, but kind of a funny story. At last years kids clinics he was running one of the games stations. Basically poison ball and kids had to aim below the chest. He advised the kids that if they didn’t play by his rules he would send them off to do a lap of the tan. The parents found this very funny and the kids played by his rules!

  • Quote
    • Haha 1
    1 hour ago, Skuit said:

    I like multi-positional players but banking on Melk, Fritter and CP5 to run through the middle or on the wing is in my opinion a poor strategy

    I don't think Fritter should play anywhere else but as our 3rd tall link up forward, a role that Lynch plays with Adelaide.

    CP5 will run through the middle as one of the rotations as he does now & we could use Melk up the ground as he's probably our best field kick into the forward half.

    Nothing wrong with that strategy.

  • Quote
    • Like 1

    20 hours ago, picket fence said:

    Time to Delist, can't keep hoping he will come good! Big cleanout coming im anticipating! Stretch, ANB, AVB KK

    Oscar, Keilty, Tim Smith, maybe one or two others. Id keep Jeffy for one more year!

    one again, ANB signed for 2 years

  • Quote
    14 hours ago, Adzman said:

    Sean Charles was a serious talent, people forget what a freak of nature he was. I've still not seen some modern players do what he could do. He was Jurrah before Jurrah.

    When you look at that list, it's easy to see why our last premiership was in 64.

    Andolute loose unit tho.

  • Quote
    •  

    We're a better team when he is on the park but he ain't on the park often enough.

    Offering him a 3 year deal to ward off the Swans was always going to come with risk that his foot/ankle problems would continue to prevent him being consistently available.  Has to be risk that he will be unable to complete workload required to get to level of fitness required to play AFL.

    AFL clubs do consistently re contract chronically injured players who go on to be chronically injured over term of that contract.

     

  • Quote
    2 hours ago, Laughing Goat said:

    one again, ANB signed for 2 years

    Yeah well that "Says it all" trade him out ANYWHERE!

    I spose Oscar is on a 5 year deal!!

    Edited by picket fence

  • Quote

    • Join the conversation

    You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

    Guest
    Unfortunately, your content contains terms that we do not allow. Please edit your content to remove the highlighted words below.
    Reply to this topic...
    Go to topic listing

    Featured Content

    • PREVIEW: Fremantle

      A month is a long time in AFL football. The proof of this is in the current state of the two teams contesting against each other early this Saturday afternoon at the MCG. It’s hard to fathom that when Melbourne and Fremantle kicked off the 2025 season, the former looked like being a major player in this year’s competition after it came close to beating one of the favourites in the GWS Giants while the latter was smashed by Geelong to the tune of 78 points and looked like rubbish. Fast forward to today and the Demons are low on confidence and appear panic stricken as their winless streak heads towards an even half dozen and pressure mounts on the coach and team leadership.  Meanwhile, the Dockers have recovered their composure and now sit in the top eight. They are definitely on the up and up and look most likely winners this weekend against a team which they have recently dominated and which struggles to find enough passages to the goals to trouble the scorers. And with that, Fremantle will head to the MCG, feeling very good about itself after demolishing Richmond in the Barossa Valley with Josh Treacy coming off a six goal haul and facing up to a Melbourne defence already without Jake Lever and a shaky Steven May needing to pass a fitness test just to make it onto the field of play. 

      • 0 replies
      Demonland
      Demonland

    • NON-MFC: Round 06

      The Easter Round kicks off in style with a Thursday night showdown between Brisbane and Collingwood, as both sides look to solidify their spots inside the Top 4 early in the season. Good Friday brings a double-header, with Carlton out to claim consecutive wins when they face the struggling Kangaroos, while later that night the Eagles host the Bombers in Perth, still chasing their first victory of the year. Saturday features another marquee clash as the resurgent Crows look to rebound from back-to-back losses against a formidable GWS outfit. That evening, all eyes will be on Marvel Stadium where Damien Hardwick returns to face his old side—the Tigers—coaching the Suns at a ground he's never hidden his disdain for. Sunday offers two crucial contests where the prize is keeping touch with the Top 8. First, Sydney and Port Adelaide go head-to-head, followed by a fierce battle between the Bulldogs and the Saints. Then, Easter Monday delivers the traditional clash between two bitter rivals, both desperate for a win to stay in touch with the top end of the ladder. Who are you tipping this week and what are the best results for the Demons?

        • Like
      • 9 replies
      Demonland
      Demonland

    • REPORT: Essendon

      What were they thinking? I mean by “they” the coaching panel and team selectors who chose the team to play against an opponent who, like Melbourne, had made a poor start to the season and who they appeared perfectly capable of beating in what was possibly the last chance to turn the season around.It’s no secret that the Demons’ forward line is totally dysfunctional, having opened the season barely able to average sixty points per game which means there has been no semblance of any system from the team going forward into attack. Nevertheless, on Saturday night at the Adelaide Oval in one of the Gather Round showcase games, Melbourne, with Max Gawn dominating the hit outs against a depleted Essendon ruck resulting from Nick Bryan’s early exit, finished just ahead in clearances won and found itself inside the 50 metre arc 51 times to 43. The end result was a final score that had the Bombers winning 15.6 (96) to 8.9 (57). On balance, one could expect this to result in a two or three goal win, but in this case, it translated into a six and a half goal defeat because they only managed to convert eight times or 11.68% of their entries. The Bombers more than doubled that. On Thursday night at the same ground, the losing team Adelaide managed to score 100 points from almost the same number of times inside 50.

      • 0 replies
      Demonland
      Demonland

    • PODCAST: Essendon

      The Demonland Podcast will air LIVE on Monday, 14th April @ the all new time of 8:00pm. Join Binman, George & I as we dissect another Demons loss at Kardinia Park to the Cats in the Round 04. Your questions and comments are a huge part of our podcast so please post anything you want to ask or say below and we'll give you a shout out on the show. If you would like to leave us a voicemail please call 03 9016 3666 and don't worry no body answers so you don't have to talk to a human.

        • Clap
      • 59 replies
      Demonland
      Demonland

    • PREGAME: Fremantle

      The Demons return home to the MCG in search of their first win for the 2025 Premiership season when they take on the Fremantle Dockers on Saturday afternoon. Who comes in and who goes out?

        • Angry
        • Clap
        • Love
        • Like
      • 208 replies
      Demonland
      Demonland

    • VOTES: Essendon

      Max Gawn leads the Demonland Player of the Year ahead of Clayton Oliver, Christian Petracca, Kade Chandler and Jake Bowey. Your votes please. 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 & 1.

        • Like
      • 24 replies
      Demonland
      Demonland
    View All