Elite Talent at Melbourne FC

[P-man 13,366]

The lack of a quality KPF continues to stick out like a sore thumb. But it’s not our biggest issue.

The biggest issue, as it was even in 2018, is a lack of players who use the ball well.

It’s why I want to see a player like Lockhart in the side every week. He is a rare commodity in this side - a smart and effective user of the footy.

.

[picket fence 16,657]

ELITE TO ME IS 10/10

We have none of these

Max 9.5

Clarry 9.0 

Currently!!

[Sir Why You Little 36,629]

We don’t have any. 
 

R Flower was the only elite player i have seen wearing an MFC Jumper. 
 

J Stynes was pretty close. 

[Ungarieboy 409]

To make this easy, ask your heathen (non mfc supporting) friends who they would give up a top 10 pick for and you'll find the answer is predominantly Gawn, with interest for Oliver and May.  That's it, and note top 10 doesn't readily equate to elite.

Ask who they would give up 2 first round picks for (with possible sweeteners) and the only answer is Gawn, and not always. That's where our list is at.

These heathen fans look at our list for potential bargains like 2nd round for Trac; but not players.

 

[spirit of norm smith 15,143]

14 minutes ago, Sir Why You Little said:

We don’t have any. 
 

R Flower was the only elite player i have seen wearing an MFC Jumper. 
 

J Stynes was pretty close. 

Agree.  Gawny, Viney and Oliver are excellent but not elite ... but could be still. 

[MyFavouriteMartian 572]

52 minutes ago, Sir Why You Little said:

We don’t have any. 
 

R Flower was the only elite player i have seen wearing an MFC Jumper. 
 

J Stynes was pretty close. 

IMO,  Flower was a level above elite.   I'd say elite plus

Gary Lyon was elite.    Schwartz was elite, Pre injury.   Stynes close, if not ?

[Sir Why You Little 36,629]

9 minutes ago, MyFavouriteMartian said:

IMO,  Flower was a level above elite.   I'd say elite plus

Gary Lyon was elite.    Schwartz was elite, Pre injury.   Stynes close, if not ?

Nope. Flower was the only elite player we have had in the last 50 years

Our results don’t lie, we have always come up short. 
Lyon, Schwartz and Stynes were A grade, but not elite. 
 

Flower did it every week, regardless of oponent, ground or weather conditions 

Tulip would dominate today

[picket fence 16,657]

1 hour ago, Ungarieboy said:

To make this easy, ask your heathen (non mfc supporting) friends who they would give up a top 10 pick for and you'll find the answer is predominantly Gawn, with interest for Oliver and May.  That's it, and note top 10 doesn't readily equate to elite.

Ask who they would give up 2 first round picks for (with possible sweeteners) and the only answer is Gawn, and not always. That's where our list is at.

These heathen fans look at our list for potential bargains like 2nd round for Trac; but not players.

 

Yep and that is WHY we have not won a Flag in a ZILLION Years!

[picket fence 16,657]

1 hour ago, Sir Why You Little said:

We don’t have any. 
 

R Flower was the only elite player i have seen wearing an MFC Jumper. 
 

J Stynes was pretty close. 

The question you have to ask is How many of our current players would walk into ANY other side???

???? ok Max in most. C;larry as well!

Rob Flower would walk into ANY TEAM OF ANY ERA

Case closed!

[MyFavouriteMartian 572]

51 minutes ago, Sir Why You Little said:

Nope. Flower was the only elite player we have had in the last 50 years

Our results don’t lie, we have always come up short. 
Lyon, Schwartz and Stynes were A grade, but not elite. 
 

Flower did it every week, regardless of oponent, ground or weather conditions 

Tulip would dominate today

What was Lockett,  and Gablett snr.?

Your elite,  there must be very few.

 

I'd say elite is like 'Hall of Famer', and plus is 'Legend'.

[picket fence 16,657]

1 hour ago, MyFavouriteMartian said:

IMO,  Flower was a level above elite.   I'd say elite plus

Gary Lyon was elite.    Schwartz was elite, Pre injury.   Stynes close, if not ?

Have a look at Rob Flowers State games, He was always best on or second best on ground!

If he was in a Powerhouse team like Essendrug, Carltank, Collingwood,  Hawks or any other POWER team of the period he would be Quadruple Brownlow Medalist and Quadruple Premiership player!

Gee we failed him Dismally!

He was the most ELITE player we have ever ever had!

Edited April 20, 2020 by picket fence

[MyFavouriteMartian 572]

8 minutes ago, picket fence said:

Have a look at Rob Flowers State games, He was always best on or second best on ground!

If he was in a Powerhouse team like Essendrug, Carltank, Collingwood,  Hawks or any other POWER team of the period he would be Quadruple Brownlow Medalist and Quadruple Premiership player!

Gee we failed him Dismally!

He was the most ELITE player we have ever ever had!

What are you saying, PF.?

Don't you get, Elite plus.?  >>>  a better level than just elite.?

[Sir Why You Little 36,629]

57 minutes ago, MyFavouriteMartian said:

What was Lockett,  and Gablett snr.?

Your elite,  there must be very few.

 

I'd say elite is like 'Hall of Famer', and plus is 'Legend'.

Lockett and Ablett Snr were elite

We have never had a player at that level apart from R Flower

[MyFavouriteMartian 572]

12 minutes ago, Sir Why You Little said:

Lockett and Ablett Snr were elite

We have never had a player at that level apart from R Flower

So what is the difference between the  'Hall of Fame'  level,  and the  'Legend'  level.?

Don't you see,  that a small few,  are just above the elite level.?

[Sir Why You Little 36,629]

16 minutes ago, MyFavouriteMartian said:

So what is the difference between the  'Hall of Fame'  level,  and the  'Legend'  level.?

Don't you see,  that a small few,  are just above the elite level.?

You are talking to yourself here MFM  hall of Fame/Legend??

We are talking elite players at the MFC

Robert Flower has been the only one in the last 50 years

[MyFavouriteMartian 572]

9 minutes ago, Sir Why You Little said:

You are talking to yourself here MFM  hall of Fame/Legend??

We are talking elite players at the MFC

Robert Flower has been the only one in the last 50 years

swyl,  there are a few players who come along who are above elite.  above the Fyfe's and and GablettJnr's.  Selwood and Dangerfield are today's elite.  Lockett and GablettSnr were above this elite level.  So to Flower.

Bruce Doull, above elite.

[Pates 9,625]

I still believe Gus can get back to his 2018 form and beyond, if he does then he could enter elite territory.

Oliver could (and I think should) get there to be an elite player but he's got to stop rushing things, he's quicker than he gives himself credit for and he really needs to be able to take that little pause to sum up kicks rather than blazing away.

Too early to pin Kozzie and Jacko into the elite potential category, they both have the talent to be anything but with our track record of developing players...who knows.

Bennell if he's able to get fit is definitely in elite territory, but getting and staying fit is his biggest challenge.

We may be biased but I really do feel like Gawn is elite in his role. Just as you'd say Dusty is elite in his role, it's what you just him on and who you judge him against. If you put Max up against the best ruckmen to have played the game he would stack up if not beat them, and I personally still hold the ruck position as an important part of team balance.

[Sir Why You Little 36,629]

1 minute ago, MyFavouriteMartian said:

swyl,  there are a few players who come along who are above elite.  above the Fyfe's and and GablettJnr's.  Selwood and Dangerfield are today's elite.  Lockett and GablettSnr were above this elite level.  So to Flower.

Bruce Doull, above elite.

No you’re changing the perameters

The elite is the top shelf.

Flower was elite

Bruce Doull was elite Ablett Snr yes

K Bartlett elite

Above elite does not exist. You have to put a range of players down a peg MFM

The Elite played at Top Level every week

Benny Cousins was Elite, but he had too much assistance!!

[ding 5,126]

Spargo.

 

Maybe O-Mac.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yeah, im joking.What else is there to do when the footy isnt being played. ?

[MyFavouriteMartian 572]

15 minutes ago, Sir Why You Little said:

No you’re changing the perameters

The elite is the top shelf.

Flower was elite

Bruce Doull was elite Ablett Snr yes

K Bartlett elite

Above elite does not exist. You have to put a range of players down a peg MFM

The Elite played at Top Level every week

Benny Cousins was Elite, but he had too much assistance!!

No.  I haven't changed the parameters at all.  I have been talking about that small shelf above the elite level, all along.   I haven't changed anything in what I've been talking about.

Ling was elite,  Bartel was elite. Buckley was elite.  Voss was elite bordering plus. Probably above elite.

There are quite a few elite players,  now, and in the past. Hird.?

 

Where would you place Keith Greig.?

[hemingway 7,615]

Elite ?

Hate the word. 

Before the word was coined along with derogatory words such as spud and dud, at a time when players had jobs and the media reported on players and games without sensationalism, ego or headline grabbing, and supporters were loyal to their players and team, irrespective of their position on the ladder,  a different language was used. 

Players were not duds or spuds, they were “not up to it” or “good seconds” (reserve) players. Some  players were described as “good” or “solid” players,  some were “very good” players even “great” players, and the exceptional few were crowned with the word “Star” or “Champion.” 

Players in our great teams of the 50s and 60s could be described this way. Our champion was RDB. The rest were great players, very good players or good players. The rest played in the seconds or were dispatched to country and local leagues. 

You would not have described these players as elite, duds or spuds. 

Anyway, getting back to my point I hate the word “elite”,  It has become a buzz word that suggests that the author or speaker knows what they are talking about. Yes, everyone in the dog eat dog industry use it. That does not mean everyone else has to slavishly use it. 

Oops looks like I have finished the bottle. Now where did I put that single malt? . 

 

[picket fence 16,657]

1 hour ago, MyFavouriteMartian said:

No.  I haven't changed the parameters at all.  I have been talking about that small shelf above the elite level, all along.   I haven't changed anything in what I've been talking about.

Ling was elite,  Bartel was elite. Buckley was elite.  Voss was elite bordering plus. Probably above elite.

There are quite a few elite players,  now, and in the past. Hird.?

 

Where would you place Keith Greig.?

Rob Flower would have won 4 Brownlows at Norf, Thats how ****house we were!

[Accepting Mediocrity 1,418]

22 hours ago, drdrake said:

Elite players need to be able to execute all the skills of the game at an extremely high level.  We don't have to many players that we have confidence that they can hit a target by foot.

If you can't execute the fundamental skill of the game at an elite level your not elite. 

Not sure about this. Dangerfield isn't a great kick, but he's arguably the best midfielder of the last decade.

Dusty doesn't tackle.

Buddy isn't strong overhead, and isn't a great set shot.

Great players can still have fundamental weaknesses. They have a couple of things that they do better than everyone else, and consistently deliver in big moments.

 

 

[DistrACTION Jackson 8,283]

In my mind our list is as follows:

Currently Elite

Gawn - 3 time all Australian and in the top 2 ruck man in the competition

Oliver - already an All Australian at 22 and will only get better. Needs to work on a few things to become a consistent top 5 mid but he will get there.

Potential Elite

May - bordering on elite and probably would be there now if he hadn't had a shocking first season. I expect 3 elite seasons with us and then 1-2 as an above average player.

Petracca - his pre-season and change of body shape shows the penny has dropped and I expect him to be in the top 5 mid/fwds very soon.

Viney - if he is fit he is elite. His game against the Eagles was huge, could very well be elite by the end of the year.

Bennell - at his very best for the suns he was incredible. If he gets fit he could reach similar heights again.

Lever - still only young and seems to be settling into his role with us after an unfortunate knee reco. absolutely has the tools to be an elite intercept defender.

Very Good

Fritsch

T McDonald

Harmes

Salem

Brayshaw

Langdon

Jetta

Melksham

Above average

Tomlinson

Hibberd

Jones

Lockhart

Pickett

Vandenberg

Average or too early to tell

Jackson

Spargo

Bedford

Hannan

Wedieman

Rivers

Jordon

Neal-Bullen

O McDonald

Hore 

Sparrow

Bradtke

Dunkley

Chandler

Petty

Unlikely to make it

Wagner x2

J Smith

M Brown

Hunt

Nietschke

 

 

 

[Lord Travis 10,458]

Gawn is elite.

Oliver is close, but not yet there.

Lever, Viney, and Brayshaw have each had a season that was worthy of All Australian or close to. Of those three, only Lever in my eyes has the potential to become an elite player.

Bennell and Petracca have both showed many flashes of elite talent, but need to deliver on this talent for prolonged period of time.

Next tier down is May, TMac and Fritsch.

No other players on our list have shown the potential to be elite IMO. Talk of Jackson, Pickett etc is very premature.