It has to be T.Mac he's been something special this year and considering he was on the scrapheap last year it's a credit to him.

Spargo has to be the next most improved player this year. I've been one of his harshest critics he has been unbelievable a credit to him.

Neal-Bullen has to be next he has lifted to another level.

Rivers has really come on too rising star receiver. I wonder what demonlanders thoughts on him being All Australian I think the half back flank spot is up for grabs and he has been as good as anyone.

What a year it has been we could have 10 All Australian nominees in Gawn, Petracca, Oliver, May, Lever, Salem, Langdon, McDonald, Fritsch and Rivers.

All we need now is for either Weideman or Big Ben Brown to clunk a few and that would be the icing on the cake. I can almost smell that elusive premioership.  

Fair comment.

TMac

ANB

Spargo

Kozzie

Salem (prior to last two games)

Petty 

 

Spargo and ANB.

I think it somewhat depends what you define as improvement.  My take is that pretty much all of those mentioned have more or less recovered form to be playing as what is similar to their previous peak levels of performance.

The real improvement has come in the across the board collective belief, maturity and consistentcy of the team. 

1 hour ago, dee-tox said:

Fair comment.

TMac

ANB

Spargo

Kozzie

Salem (prior to last two games)

Petty 

 

Absolutely.  The stars are great but these players are making a huge difference as well. 
Go Dees !!! 

JJ - gone from depth to so dependable and reliable.

welcome to the wingers club! What a game playing  Ed Langdon’s role. 

This is why we are so good this year, we have so many guys playing career best footy, even our best players have improved.
 

Spargo comes to mind but it’s hard to go past TMac. We tried to shop him off and pay some of his salary yet nobody was interested such was his performances for 2 years.

He has turned several games this year,  and been a match winner, could not be happier for him.

You could make a case for almost every player who played last night , but we are playing so well as a team. Every player is contributing. no Langdon last night , Hunt had one of his quieter games up stepped Brayshaw and Sparrow have no doubts this is why we are top of the ladder. 

Purely based on numbers I’d imagine Gawn and melksham down on last year. Everyone else hitting career highs or close to it.

 

TMac has returned to his best footy. The three mini maestro’s in Pickett, Spargo and ANB are it for mine being they were in the side but not playing at this level. 

That Spargo and Nibbler are making the ‘whipping boy’ brigade look like the mugs they’ve always been brings joy to my heart. They are serious, professional footballers dedicated to playing to their potential in a team that understands the value of such an attitude. Never deserved the garbage so many dish up to them, and last night was the perfect vindication of that. Considering his size, the number of times Spargo not only halves contests he shouldn’t, but does the deft tap, the block, the tackle, and creates opportunity for others, not to mention his vision and ball use, is just special. And yet, just watch the knockers come back when he has a quiet one. ANB just goes and goes, always has, and for someone who has no flash and no tricks, to have found an extra skill level 6 years into his career should impress everyone. And yet......

ANB was this good in 2018.

Spargo has absolutely found another level.

Tmac is the most improved from 2020, but probably not from his previous best. 

I’d almost argue Oliver. Sure he got lot of touches over the last few years but he is utterly dominating games and providing huge drive and damage. Could mount an argument on the same lines for Trac.

Most improved doesn’t always have to be the fringe players. 

Goodwin

6 hours ago, WERRIDEE said:

It has to be T.Mac he's been something special this year and considering he was on the scrapheap last year it's a credit to him.

Spargo has to be the next most improved player this year. I've been one of his harshest critics he has been unbelievable a credit to him.

Neal-Bullen has to be next he has lifted to another level.

Rivers has really come on too rising star receiver. I wonder what demonlanders thoughts on him being All Australian I think the half back flank spot is up for grabs and he has been as good as anyone.

What a year it has been we could have 10 All Australian nominees in Gawn, Petracca, Oliver, May, Lever, Salem, Langdon, McDonald, Fritsch and Rivers.

All we need now is for either Weideman or Big Ben Brown to clunk a few and that would be the icing on the cake. I can almost smell that elusive premioership.  

I’m really pleased for TMac I remember him being interviewed a few years back and I thought at that time he would captain and achieve so much

He has obviously worked incredibly hard over the off season to address areas of his game that weren’t working

He was a critical factor in turning the game around last night - keep up the great work Tom 

The middle tier players

ANB

Spargo

Petty

Spargo. Tmac has shown similar form previously. Spargo has gone up so many levels.

TMac has played great footy before so his improvement is more like returning to his best, rather than discovering his best.

Spargo for mine. I have always liked his footy brain, but he just couldn't impact enough. Now he is a serious problem for opposition because of his gut running, in-close skills, precision kicking and off-the-ball defensive stuff. He is everywhere, and continually makes things happen.

Petty.

Tmac has to win this. He went from “he’s awful we need to recruit a tall forward stat and trade him out” to “sorry tall forward we recruited, you can’t get a game now”. 
Given his foot issues and his age, his form turnaround is remarkable. 
 

Honorable mentions to ANB who I had in the trash pile and couldn’t wait to see delisted. Proved me wrong. 
 

Spargo always had it in him and just needed to find consistency. He is still really inexperienced and had a strong 2018 so I knew he could do it. 

Edited June 5, 20213 yr by Jaded

Jord_n for me. From couldn’t get a look in to versatile, multi-role player. A great demonstration of perseverance and patience from club and player.

No doubt in my mind, those three ANB, Tmac and Spargo. Stands out they are all now taking First choices pretty well all the time.

And executing it quickly and with confidence.

From an individual perspective it has to TMac. Phenomenal what he has done. 

Collectively our team defense starting with May and Lever through to Spargo, ANB and Kozzie in the forward half has been a revelation for me this year.

57 minutes ago, dl4e said:

Petty.

Loving his work.  I have been really happy and impressed by Petty's efforts to step up and into the role played by Tomlinson.  He's not quite a Tomlinson clone, just because of their differing physical attributes, but still contributing to the backline/team defense that's allowed us to maintain such good stability down back.

He looked a little shaky for a few weeks and still has the odd brain faid moment where he shanks it out on the full or something, but overall I think he's brought himself back up to backman at AFL level.

Starting to take some big strong intercept/contested marks and get involved in good chains of play as well.

Spargo struggled to kick over 35 meters a few years back. ANB put up for trade, T Mac put up for trade. What a turn-around. We often talk about first to be selected players, the selectors must take it in turns to put the first name on the board. 

Simon Goodwin 

 

3 hours ago, DaveyJones'sLocker said:

You could make a case for almost every player who played last night , but we are playing so well as a team. Every player is contributing. no Langdon last night , Hunt had one of his quieter games up stepped Brayshaw and Sparrow have no doubts this is why we are top of the ladder. 

Purely based on numbers I’d imagine Gawn and melksham down on last year. Everyone else hitting career highs or close to 

No Gawny is playing a much more rounded game in as team orientsted plus handball shirt padding and defending and attacking.

At the moment he is down a little on marks but more up on the 1% ers and his field kicking has improved.

He is a more rounded player and as such useful ( valuable) to  the team.

Brayshaw  is having his most consistent year since 2018 in a reprised defensive wing role so valuable to the team.

And our selfless ethos and team unity are the glue sticking all of it together.