Jump to content

Featured Replies

Posted

15th MELBOURNE – 8 points

CURRENT A-GRADERS

Clayton Oliver, Max Gawn

POTENTIAL A-GRADERS

Bayley Fritsch, Angus Brayshaw, Steven May, Christian Petracca

DOWNGRADED

Tom McDonald, Jack Viney

The world seemed to be at the feet of the Demons after 2018, didn’t it? Gawn and Oliver were at the peak of their powers, but it was the next wave coming through that seemed to buoy their hopes. Angus Brayshaw finished third in the Brownlow and looked to be the next great Demon mid.

How times change. Jack Viney returned to the midfield full time and seemingly accomplished two things in 2019; he got sat on his ass by Sydney Stack, and he took the spot of Brayshaw in the guts, stifling the young bloke’s development, whilst posting his own lowest statistical return for five years.

We all heard about the hardness of Viney, and the way he plays the game… the commentators rammed it down our throats every time he went near the footy. The problem was that Viney went near the footy substantially less than Melbourne expected him to. It’s a slide he needs to arrest immediately in 2020.

The other slide was more like an avalanche. That was the velocity of Tom McDonald’s decline in 2019. After taking on the role of number one forward, TMac’s goals per game average dipped by more than half, and had it not been for his six goal bag in his final game of the season, he would have been clocking in at under a goal per game.

I’ve yet to read a valid reason for TMac’s sudden inability to hit the scoreboard, and one would hope that 2019 was the anomaly for him… not 2018.

 

I'm not sure Oliver is a genuine A grader in terms of being a match winner and dragging a team along with him, but he is a very good player nevertheless. Hard to disagree with anything else in that analysis. I think McDonald is still potentially an A grader, but he needs a lot more support in the forward line.

No love for Jake Lever?

Meanwhile, Rich and WC both rated as having 8 x A graders

Edited by Moonshadow

 
22 minutes ago, Moonshadow said:

No love for Jake Lever?

Meanwhile, Rich and WC both rated as having 8 x A graders

Thanks why Richmond were Premiers and we were an abysmal 17th!

Bloke is right on the money!

Its Simon Goodwins job to develop players... If he has another Shizen start to 2020 he will be gorn by about round 8-10

Edited by picket fence

1 hour ago, picket fence said:

Thanks why Richmond were Premiers and we were an abysmal 17th!

Bloke is right on the money!

Its Simon Goodwins job to develop players... If he has another Shizen start to 2020 he will be gorn by about round 8-10

 

unnamed_(7).gif


11 hours ago, Moonshadow said:

 

unnamed_(7).gif

Well done Moon, you also got my best angle!

On 10/30/2019 at 10:25 AM, poita said:

I'm not sure Oliver is a genuine A grader in terms of being a match winner and dragging a team along with him, but he is a very good player nevertheless. Hard to disagree with anything else in that analysis. I think McDonald is still potentially an A grader, but he needs a lot more support in the forward line.

Oliver is an A grader.  I think he needs to bulk up to do what you hope and really dominate games so he take more tacklers when he wins contested ball. Also to use his pace out of stoppages more when he can.  He’d go from A grader to multiple Brownlow medalist if improved a few things like that but he is already more impactful than all the A grader mids listed bar 2 or 3.

Some of the A graders listed in other teams are baffling.  Maybe I don’t watch other teams enough, but is he serious that St Kilda have 3 A graders. 

45 minutes ago, Watson11 said:

Some of the A graders listed in other teams are baffling.  Maybe I don’t watch other teams enough, but is he serious that St Kilda have 3 A graders. 

How the feck they got Membrey as an A Grader?

 
On 10/30/2019 at 10:55 AM, poita said:

I'm not sure Oliver is a genuine A grader in terms of being a match winner and dragging a team along with him, but he is a very good player nevertheless. Hard to disagree with anything else in that analysis. I think McDonald is still potentially an A grader, but he needs a lot more support in the forward line.

Oliver can be rusty at the best of times by hand he is elite however he can do better by being cleaner.  A  young man  with the greatest of potential. IMO his kicking looks wobbly when belting it high into the forward 50 sometimes. Like playing kick to kick in the school yard.

He just knows how to get that ball like a hungry bear looking for a feed.  He is an A grader in my eyes however you have your opinion.


On 10/30/2019 at 5:23 PM, Moonshadow said:

No love for Jake Lever?

Meanwhile, Rich and WC both rated as having 8 x A graders

Don’t get me wrong, I hold a lot of faith for Jake Lever. 

But his highlight reel at the MFC thus far would be very short, and pretty underwhelming. 

He was edging towards elite/A-grader/whatever-you-wanna-call-it at the Crows. Some might say he even got there. But he does not have that kind of status now. He’s currently in no-man’s land between past and (hopefully) future form.

 

 

 

1 hour ago, Roger Mellie said:

And Josh Kelly (GWS) is not.

Lol

Josh Kelly is behind Jade Gresham, who’s only elite stat is clearances which ranked him 50th in the afl last year!

May and Lever are both A graders. Watch their attack on the ball and their intercept marking and it is obvious.

Maybe I don’t watch enough Eagles games but I had to triple check that he had listed Lewis Jetta as an A grader.


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...

Featured Content

  • REPORT: Collingwood

    The media focus on the fiery interaction between Max Gawn and Steven May at the end of the game was unfortunate because it took away the gloss from Melbourne’s performance in winning almost everywhere but on the scoreboard in its Kings Birthday clash with Collingwood at the MCG. It was a real battle reminiscent of the good old days when the rivalry between the two clubs was at its height and a fitting contest to celebrate the 2025 Australian of the Year, Neale Daniher and his superb work to bring the campaign to raise funds for motor neurone disease awareness to the forefront. Notwithstanding the fact that the Magpies snatched a one point victory from his old club, Daniher would be proud of the fact that his Demons fought tooth and nail to win the keenly contested game in front of 77,761 fans.

      • Thanks
      • Like
    • 1 reply
  • PREGAME: Port Adelaide

    The Demons are set to embark on a four-week road trip that takes them across the country, with two games in Adelaide and a clash on the Gold Coast, broken up by a mid-season bye. Next up is a meeting with the inconsistent Port Adelaide at Adelaide Oval. Who comes in and who goes out?

    • 63 replies
  • PODCAST: Collingwood

    I have something on tomorrow night so Podcast will be Wednesday night. The Demonland Podcast will air LIVE on Wednesday, 11th June @ 8:00pm. Join Binman, George & I as we dissect the Dees heartbreaking 1 point loss to the Magpies on King's Birthday 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. Listen LIVE: https://demonland.com/

      • Thanks
      • Like
    • 24 replies
  • POSTGAME: Collingwood

    Despite effectively playing against four extra opponents, the Dees controlled much of the match. However, their inaccuracy in front of goal and inability to convert dominance in clearances and inside 50s ultimately cost them dearly, falling to a heartbreaking one-point loss on King’s Birthday.

      • Sad
      • Thanks
      • Like
    • 479 replies
  • VOTES: Collingwood

    Max Gawn has an almost insurmountable lead in the Demonland Player of the Year Award ahead of Christian Petracca, Jake Bowey, Clayton Oliver and Kozzy Pickett. Your votes please; 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 & 1.

      • Thanks
    • 40 replies
  • GAMEDAY: Collingwood

    It's Game Day and the Demons face a monumental task as they take on the top-of-the-table Magpies in one of the biggest games on the Dees calendar: the King's Birthday Big Freeze MND match. Can the Demons defy the odds and claim a massive scalp to keep their finals hopes alive?

      • Thanks
      • Like
    • 720 replies