Jump to content

2021 Player Reviews: #3 Christian Salem

Demonland
Demonland
in Melbourne Demons

Featured Replies

Posted

03ChristianSalem2021.png

The rebounding half back had his best season yet and capped it all off with an outstanding grand final in which he picked up 27 disposals at an exceptional accuracy rate of 96% including a goal when he drifted forward late in the rampage that destroyed the Bulldogs.

Date of Birth: 15 July, 1995

Height: 183cm

Weight: 84kg

Games MFC 2021: 24

Career Total: 130

Goals MFC 2021: 3

Career Total: 24

Brownlow Medal Votes 2021: 1

Premiership Player

  • Quote
    • Like 2
    • Thanks 1
    • Love 3
     

    Sensational year.  First half especially was very good. 
    Composure  Skill  Toughness  Hits targets 

    ALL AUSTRALIAN SQUAD 

    His finals campaign was excellent. 

    His Grand Final was awesome.   In the first half, he was our best player.  Clearly a key part of the team. 

    Simply his best year and so hope it’s recognized in B&F.  I think Demonlanders had him 3rd behind Trac and Clarry.
     

    PS. Tyson + Salem. V. Josh Kelly 

    I’d say it’s evens or we are now slightly ahead !!! 

  • Quote
    • Like 7
    • Love 3

    Simply a brilliant season and he is just in the prime of his football career, this is a great reward for hard work and dedication.

    How he missed being a AA player is beyond me but am I biased or just a better judge.

    Edited by durango

  • Quote
    • Like 5
     

    Composure and skills are just fantastic. 

    At quarter time he looked like a Norm Smith medalist, and the rest of his game was really good though not quite as much as Q1 - but that set up the win.

  • Quote
    • Like 3
    • Love 1

    Christian Salem has looked a player from day one and what a “A” grade game he played in the Granny, just superb.!!

  • Quote
    • Like 5

    1 Brownlow vote is the clearest indication I have seen that the award is BS.

  • Quote
    • Like 13
    • Love 1
    • Angry 1

    I have a gut feeling that later on in his career he will swing forward and become a weapon, similar to Yze. 

    Absolute gun.

  • Quote
    • Like 3

    Everything seems to move in 'slow motion' when Salo is around the ball.  His composure is as good as it gets, his disposal efficiency is elite, and unlike the other HB flankers whose disposal the media drool over, he's also a great defender one on one.  He had an outstanding 2021, and was a key plank in our Premiership.

  • Quote
    • Like 3
    • Love 1
     

    Salem missed one game for the season and it was against Adelaide in Adelaide maybe we would have won if he had been able to play?

  • Quote
    • Like 4
    • Love 1
    3 hours ago, spirit of norm smith said:

    Sensational year.  First half especially was very good. 
    Composure  Skill  Toughness  Hits targets 

    ALL AUSTRALIAN SQUAD 

    His finals campaign was excellent. 

    His Grand Final was awesome.   In the first half, he was our best player.  Clearly a key part of the team. 

    Simply his best year and so hope it’s recognized in B&F.  I think Demonlanders had him 3rd behind Trac and Clarry.
     

    PS. Tyson + Salem. V. Josh Kelly 

    I’d say it’s evens or we are now slightly ahead !!! 

    In my mind it is Ben Brown and Salem v Josh Kelly. And we win that hands down.

    We got pruess for Tyson in a straight swap. We then got pick 31 for pruess.

    We gave kangaroo's pick 26 and the pruess pick and got pick 28 and b.brown back.

  • Quote
    • Like 4

    Played with injury concern a lot of the year otherwise would have been AA...still better than Rich but who cares.

    Salem a brilliant contributor.

    Forget the pick swaps and other players, head to head I would pick Salem ahead of Kelly.

    A proven finals, big game player against a one that has so far faltered.

  • Quote
    • Like 5
    • Thanks 1
    • Love 2
    5 hours ago, durango said:

    Simply a brilliant season and he is just in the prime of his football career, this is a great reward for hard work and dedication.

    How he missed being a AA player is beyond me but am I biased or just a better judge.

    Should have been AA ahead of Bailey Dale. Had a better season, got more disposals, marks & had twice as many tackles per game. Selectors probably worried there were too many Demons in the AA team.

  • Quote
    • Like 5

    Superb Season. Nothing more to be said

    What a magnificent 1st Quarter he had in the GF when the Game was red hot, Salem was Mr Cool

  • Quote
    • Like 4

    Best halfback in the game in my eyes, best kick in the team and hard as a rock.

    Was great to see his mum singing the song - just a lovely totem to new Australia.

  • Quote
    • Like 4
    • Love 1

    I’m just watching the ANZAC eve match vs Richmond, holy cow he is just such a ridiculously cool customer. I know he was the same (if not better) in the Grand Final but he was so damn good, could’ve been as good a choice for the BOG medal as Petracca. 

    The thing that makes him stand out above just about everybody is that he sums things up so quickly, he does these deft little taps and handballs that he knows he’s likely to cop a hit at the same time. His footy intelligence is just about the highest I’ve ever seen at the club. 

  • Quote
    • Like 2
    • Thanks 1
    • Love 2

    Petrracca owes this guy a beer.

    Salem should’ve won the Anzac eve medal given he kept us afloat in the first qtr and could not have played a better game in the GF, but his mate took both medals.

    He’s in the peak years now and has come a long way from suiting up with Casey in 2017.

  • Quote
    • Like 6
    3 hours ago, Bring-Back-Powell said:

    Petrracca owes this guy a beer.

    Salem should’ve won the Anzac eve medal given he kept us afloat in the first qtr and could not have played a better game in the GF, but his mate took both medals.

    He’s in the peak years now and has come a long way from suiting up with Casey in 2017.

    Conspiracy theory: maybe Salem did win the Anzac eve medal? Remember how there was a delay because the presenter hadn't been given the winner's name? Maybe someone yelled out "It's Christian" and the presenter just went with the better-known one...

    Also, just cause it's worth repeating, 96% disposal efficiency for 27 disposals in a Grand Final is unbelievable.

  • Quote
    • Like 3
    • Love 1
    • Haha 1

    Love this highlights package from the MFC.

    Video editor did a great job, but probably had it pretty easy, with the man Salem providing heaps of quality material.  Just look at the first play in the reel.  Tackles, strips the player of the ball and then delivers perfectly to a teammate. Of course the package is finished off by his goal in the GF, which was a suburb and fitting way to punctuate his season.

    A man of near endless tallent, he doubles as the team hairdresser if I recall correctly from an interview with Steven May at some point.

  • Quote
    • Love 1
    On 10/11/2021 at 2:37 PM, rjay said:

    Played with injury concern a lot of the year otherwise would have been AA...still better than Rich but who cares.

    Salem a brilliant contributor.

    Forget the pick swaps and other players, head to head I would pick Salem ahead of Kelly.

    A proven finals, big game player against a one that has so far faltered.

    Yeah, who cares? Vastly better player than Rich - and now a premiership player. Same goes for Kelly. For us, I much prefer Salem.. Tough too - touch of mongrel to go with the skills.

  • Quote
    • Like 1
    On 10/16/2021 at 9:10 PM, rpfc said:

    Best halfback in the game in my eyes, best kick in the team and hard as a rock.

    Was great to see his mum singing the song - just a lovely totem to new Australia.

    Think I missed the mum. Where was that? (And yes, the outstanding halfback in the game, bar none.)

  • Quote
    •  

    Was fitting and deserving he kicked a goal in the Granny.

  • Quote
    2 hours ago, Dees_In_October said:

    Conspiracy theory: maybe Salem did win the Anzac eve medal? Remember how there was a delay because the presenter hadn't been given the winner's name? Maybe someone yelled out "It's Christian" and the presenter just went with the better-known one...

    Also, just cause it's worth repeating, 96% disposal efficiency for 27 disposals in a Grand Final is unbelievable.

    In the same year and two presentations we had the first MOC not be told the ANZAC Eve medal before she went up to present it, and the second (far more important) have the MOC forget to let our coach have his extremely deserved time in the sun to have his speech. 

    Bring back Craig Willis!

  • Quote
    • Haha 1

    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

    • CASEY: Geelong

      There was a time in the second quarter of the game at the Cattery on Friday afternoon when the Casey Demons threatened to take the game apart against the Cats. The Demons had been well on top early but were struggling to convert their ascendancy over the ground until Tom Fullarton’s burst of three goals in the space of eight minutes on the way to a five goal haul and his best game for the club since arriving from Brisbane at the end of 2023. He was leading, marking and otherwise giving his opponents a merry dance as Casey grabbed a three goal lead in the blink of an eye. Fullarton has now kicked ten goals in Casey’s three matches and, with Melbourne’s forward conversion woes, he is definitely in with a chance to get his first game with the club in next week’s Gather Round in Adelaide. Despite the tall forward’s efforts - he finished with 19 disposals and eight marks and had four hit outs as back up to Will Verrall in the second half - it wasn’t enough as Geelong reigned in the lead through persistent attacks and eventually clawed their way to the lead early in the last and held it till they achieved the end aim of victory.

      • 0 replies
      Demonland
      Demonland

    • REPORT: Geelong

      I was disappointed to hear Goody say at his post match presser after the team’s 39 point defeat against Geelong that "we're getting high quality entry, just poor execution" because Melbourne’s problems extend far beyond that after its 0 - 4 start to the 2025 football season. There are clearly problems with poor execution, some of which were evident well before the current season and were in play when the Demons met the Cats in early May last year and beat them in a near top-of-the-table clash that saw both sides sitting comfortably in the top four after round eight. Since that game, the Demons’ performances have been positively Third World with only five wins in 19 games with a no longer majestic midfield and a dysfunctional forward line that has become too easy for opposing coaches to counter. This is an area of their game that is currently being played out as if they were all completely panic-stricken.

        • Thanks
        • Like
      • 0 replies
      Demonland
      Demonland

    • PREGAME: Essendon

      Facing the very real and daunting prospect of starting the season with five straight losses, the Demons head to South Australia for the annual Gather Round, where they’ll take on the Bombers in search of their first win of the year. Who comes in, and who comes out?

        • Thanks
      • 151 replies
      Demonland
      Demonland

    • NON-MFC: Round 04

      Round 4 kicks off with a blockbuster on Thursday night as traditional rivals Collingwood and Carlton clash at the MCG, with the Magpies looking to assert themselves as early-season contenders and the Blues seeking their first win of the season. Saturday opens with Gold Coast hosting Adelaide, a key test for the Suns as they aim to back up their big win last week, while the Crows will be looking to keep their perfect record intact. Reigning wooden spooners Richmond have the daunting task of facing reigning premiers Brisbane at the ‘G and the Lions will be eager to reaffirm their premiership credentials after a patchy start. Saturday night sees North Melbourne take on Sydney at Marvel Stadium, with the Swans looking to build on their first win of the season last week against a rebuilding Roos outfit. Sunday’s action begins with GWS hosting West Coast at ENGIE Stadium, a game that could get ugly very early for the visitors. Port Adelaide vs St Kilda at Adelaide Oval looms as a interesting clash, with both clubs form being very hard to read. The round wraps up with Fremantle taking on the Western Bulldogs at Optus Stadium in what could be a fierce contest between two sides with top-eight ambitions. Who are you tipping this week and what are the best results for the Demons besides us winning?

        • Thanks
      • 272 replies
      Demonland
      Demonland

    • PODCAST: Geelong

      The Demonland Podcast will air LIVE on Monday, 7th 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.

        • Thanks
      • 39 replies
      Demonland
      Demonland

    • VOTES: Geelong

      Captain Max Gawn leads the Demonland Player of the Year in his quest to take out his 3rd trophy. He leads Christian Petracca and Clayton Oliver who are in equal 2nd place followed by Kade Chandler and Jake Bowey. You votes please. 6, 5, 4, 3, 2 & 1.

        • Thanks
      • 29 replies
      Demonland
      Demonland
    View All