Welcome to Demonland: Jacob Van Rooyen

[Nascent 9,283]

Happy with this.

A developing key forward was clearly a need with McDonald and Brown not getting any younger and question marks still remaining over Weid. 

Most importantly he appears to be super competitive.

[Turner 1,516]

3 hours ago, Jontee said:

A Van comes and a Van goes...

yeh whats with this one dutchman policy we've got going on, 

also we seem to have a thing for the acronyms, JVR, AMW and TAJ all in one draft! 

[Clayton van Oliver 1,823]

2 hours ago, Chook said:

Cool that we might have a call of "Roo" to echo around the G.

Is that how its pronounced? Roo-en? In Dutch it is Royi-en. Thought 'Roy' would just be neat and simple

Edited November 24, 2021 by AmDamDemon

[DeesFlag2020 90]

6 hours ago, dazzledavey36 said:

Great get for this club.

Big physical 195cm 88kg key forward who has also played down back. Had some insane numbers in the back end of the year in the colts level as a noted goal kicker.

Welcome Jacob.

Sounds a bit like a young David Neitz: about the same size, can play back (remember Carey rated Neitz the best back he had played on) and forward. Hope he can kick and mark as well as big DN, as well as a gun shot for goal. From all the write ups about him, he sounds as though he has all those attributes and like Neitz he sounds like a beast. The only doubt expressed being his endurance no doubt bought on by the glandular fever he had last year. This will be corrected when he gets into the Dees system and goes through our pre season programs.
 

Sounds like yet another outstanding move by this Administration. 

Edited November 24, 2021 by DeesFlag2020

[58er 6,560]

6 hours ago, monoccular said:

Welcome. 

I trust JT to make the call - a tall forward who is given 2-3 y to develop and not rushed as had been the cases over the last decades sounds just what we need.  
 

And am I right in saying he is a teammate of Jackson and Rivers?  

No your not right !

Jacob is from Claremont Dogga and Riv are East Freo products.

[58er 6,560]

1 hour ago, DeesFlag2020 said:

Sounds a bit like a young David Neitz: about the same size, can play back (remember Carey rated Neitz the best back he had played on) and forward. Hope he can kick and mark as well as big DN, as well as a gun shot for goal. From all the write ups about him, he sounds as though he has all those attributes and like Neitz he sounds like a beast. The only doubt expressed being his endurance no doubt bought on by the glandular fever he had last year. This will be corrected when he gets into the Dees system and goes through our pre season programs.
 

Sounds like yet another outstanding move by this Administration. 

Good call DF a Neiter clone is a great comparison. Very good solid and skilful highlights reel at both ends. No panic and will fit in to our style brilliantly.

More weight needed but he is a very impressive recruit to add to a reigning premiers list for development in the next 2/3 years.

Could replace any one of Tmac BBB or Maysie when required. 

Great get at No 19 in draft with still some guns on the radar for tonight inc. Taj and AMW. 

[#11-TonyAnderson 822]

8 hours ago, Return to Glory said:

I've just had a look at his highlights reel and am now an absolute expert on him. I thought he moved a bit like Tom Lynch with his forward play.

Which one? Tigers/Suns or Adelaide?

[Chook 15,022]

4 hours ago, AmDamDemon said:

Is that how its pronounced? Roo-en? In Dutch it is Royi-en. Thought 'Roy' would just be neat and simple

Riewoldt got called Roo, so either way it's pronounced the crowd might go for Roo anyway.

[Melb-A-Toast 257]

6 minutes ago, Chook said:

Riewoldt got called Roo, so either way it's pronounced the crowd might go for Roo anyway.

Just checked the Dutch pronunciation.  More like 'fun royen'. Though I suspect that he is more referred as 'roo' now

[BDA 22,875]

9 hours ago, DeeSpencer said:

I genuinely dislike Josh Bruce but he had a great year this year. I actually like that fox picked a semi reasonable comparison for once! If he gives us 2021 Josh Bruce we’d be delighted 

Fair point. I dislike Bruce as well but I agree if JVR produces Bruce 2021 like form we’ll be happy.

[Whispering_Jack 30,640]

8 hours ago, IvanBartul13 said:

Unfortunately much of Van Rooyen's best forward work at WAFL colts level is not on freely available game tape, but he was dominant in multiple matches against mostly mediocre opponents.   Most of his high-profile and watchable footage  was played in key defence where, stylistically and in terms of trait, he is very reminiscent of Harry Petty - steady overhead, big wingspan and an effort player.  It sounds like the club view him more as a key forward, where he projects to be more of a solid structural piece than a star, which is the question on him and why he is down at pick 19 - does he have the class and or athletic specialness to be a dominant AFL level key forward?  I was surprised given the dearth of key position options that he was available at this pick.  Think it's a sound list management pick but not necessarily a sexy decision.   If he fails or is ineffective as forward, should at worst make it as a second or third key back.

I think you’re being tough with our boy JVR, noting that he was diagnosed with glandular fever in May and that illness can knock you about even if you’re a fit young person. That makes his efforts both in the WAFL Colts and for the WA Under 19s even more admirable. I did watch him in those state games and he was impressive in both in defence and attack. Moreover, my understanding is that he was sent down back after already proving himself as a forward at Colts level and in earlier state games to test his capability in defence. He not only did that but also from memory was sent forward late in the game and kicked the winning goal. He’s gone a long way to proving his versatility and he’s lucky to be at Melbourne where there’s absolutely no pressure on him to hold a place in the senior straight away.

[Mickey 4,731]

21 minutes ago, Whispering_Jack said:

I think you’re being tough with our boy JVR, noting that he was diagnosed with glandular fever in May and that illness can knock you about even if you’re a fit young person. That makes his efforts both in the WAFL Colts and for the WA Under 19s even more admirable. I did watch him in those state games and he was impressive in both in defence and attack. Moreover, my understanding is that he was sent down back after already proving himself as a forward at Colts level and in earlier state games to test his capability in defence. He not only did that but also from memory was sent forward late in the game and kicked the winning goal. He’s gone a long way to proving his versatility and he’s lucky to be at Melbourne where there’s absolutely no pressure on him to hold a place in the senior straight away.

Wasn't Rivers struck down with Glandular fever also? Maybe that's our recruiting theme, rather than competitiveness. 

[Roger Mellie 4,102]

1 hour ago, Melb-A-Toast said:

Just checked the Dutch pronunciation.  More like 'fun royen'. Though I suspect that he is more referred as 'roo' now

While I find Western Australians can pronounce things oddly (Albany, Derby) the commentators for his highlights seemed to call him Van Ruin - as in 'Collingwood is in ruins'

[IvanBartul13 2,564]

1 hour ago, Whispering_Jack said:

I think you’re being tough with our boy JVR, noting that he was diagnosed with glandular fever in May and that illness can knock you about even if you’re a fit young person. That makes his efforts both in the WAFL Colts and for the WA Under 19s even more admirable. I did watch him in those state games and he was impressive in both in defence and attack. Moreover, my understanding is that he was sent down back after already proving himself as a forward at Colts level and in earlier state games to test his capability in defence. He not only did that but also from memory was sent forward late in the game and kicked the winning goal. He’s gone a long way to proving his versatility and he’s lucky to be at Melbourne where there’s absolutely no pressure on him to hold a place in the senior straight away.

Not sure in what way I've been tough.  I've said I thought he would be drafted higher and surprised that Brisbane - and Sydney, in particular once Tom Brown was taken ahead by Richmond- didn't take him ahead of us to be honest.  I've compared him as a defender to a good player in Harry Petty, but i think as forward, whilst he's performed very well at Colts level and other junior levels, there isn't a big positive sample size of him beating the ilk or physique of player he is going to come across at AFL level and without seeming to be outrageously skilled or uber athletic that puts a question mark on whether he can be a dominant AFL figurehead forward, remembering that when most Demonlanders were waxing lyrical about Jack Watts dominating an under 18 game, he was playing on Brad Sheppard with a 10cm and 12kg physical advantage.  Watts I think was a good player, but these concepts are behind the reason I think he is at Pick 19 in a draft incredibly bereft of his type of player and not in the top half dozen picks.  

I think its a  good list management pick from a positional list build viewpoint and you are 100% he comes into a great situation for himself at the Dees (most, it has to be said, will, given we have a very balanced list) and I think he could be a good player, maybe a Nick Larkey type, but unlike someone like the patronising and condescending Spirit Of Norm Smith, I'm not going to guess and shamelessly make constantly wrong and grandiose statements or inflated comparisons and bombard the site with drivel. Rather am just providing what I pray to be a balanced, honest assessment.  I hope he is the second coming of Neita, but at this stage Im only happy to concede that he is at least going to be a handy structural spine player.

Its a great pick by you to identify him as the man we were going to take and I think its going to be interesting for you to compare him and Andrew going forward, because their careers are going to be kind of the lab study of your thesis about Andrew and youve got a very good chance to be proven right. but I need to see him beating good players to be confident.  Josh Schache was routinely murdered by Jacob Weitering in his draft year and Van Rooyen hasn't played on someone like that.  I need to see either optics of dominance or class, or to see him beating quality players first to be confident.

AFL comparison: Harry Petty or could be a Nick Larkey, whichever way you swing. 

Edited November 24, 2021 by IvanBartul13

[picket fence 17,498]

11 hours ago, MikeAlphaTango said:

Looks the goods, reminds me a lot of TMac

REMINDS ME MORE OF "THE OX" and if so , what an exciting revelation he might become!

[Whispering_Jack 30,640]

14 minutes ago, IvanBartul13 said:

Not sure in what way I've been tough.  I've said I thought he would be drafted higher and surprised that Brisbane - and Sydney, in particular once Tom Brown was taken ahead by Richmond- didn't take him ahead of us to be honest.  I've compared him as a defender to a good player in Harry Petty, but i think as forward, whilst he's performed very well at Colts level and other junior levels, there isn't a big positive sample size of him beating the ilk or physique of player he is going to come across at AFL level and without seeming to be outrageously skilled or uber athletic that puts a question mark on whether he can be a dominant AFL figurehead forward, remembering that when most Demonlanders were waxing lyrical about Jack Watts dominating an under 18 game, he was playing on Brad Sheppard with a 10cm and 12kg physical advantage.  Watts I think was a good player, but these concepts are behind the reason I think he is at Pick 19 in a draft incredibly bereft of his type of player and not in the top half dozen picks.  

I think its a  good list management pick from a positional list build viewpoint and you are 100% he comes into a great situation for himself at the Dees (most, it has to be said, will, given we have a very balanced list) and I think he could be a good player, maybe a Nick Larkey type, but unlike someone like the patronising and condescending Spirit Of Norm Smith, I'm not going to guess and shamelessly make constantly wrong and grandiose statements or inflated comparisons and bombard the site with drivel. Rather am just providing what I pray to be a balanced, honest assessment.  I hope he is the second coming of Neita, but at this stage Im only happy to concede that he is at least going to be a handy structural spine player.

Its a great pick by you to identify him as the man we were going to take and I think its going to be interesting for you to compare him and Andrew going forward, because their careers are going to be kind of the lab study of your thesis about Andrew and youve got a very good chance to be proven right. but I need to see him beating good players to be confident.  Josh Schache was routinely murdered by Jacob Weitering in his draft year and Van Rooyen hasn't played on someone like that.  I need to see either optics of dominance or class, or to see him beating quality players first to be confident.

AFL comparison: Harry Petty or could be a Nick Larkey, whichever way you swing. 

Fair enough. The point that you make about Van Rooyen not having played on someone like Weitering is precisely that which I’ve been making about Mac Andrew. He’s never come anywhere near to having been tested by a quality opponent and even more so. That’s not his fault of course and I’ve been saying all year that he needed testing at National Championships level and in the combines before being rated as highly as some of the draft watchers were doing with him. Historically, has anyone so raw and untried gone top 5?

Perhaps Richard Lounder but that was a long time ago.

[dee-tox 4,835]

7 minutes ago, Whispering_Jack said:

Fair enough. The point that you make about Van Rooyen not having played on someone like Weitering is precisely that which I’ve been making about Mac Andrew. He’s never come anywhere near to having been tested by a quality opponent and even more so. That’s not his fault of course and I’ve been saying all year that he needed testing at National Championships level and in the combines before being rated as highly as some of the draft watchers were doing with him. Historically, has anyone so raw and untried gone top 5?

Perhaps Richard Lounder but that was a long time ago.

I kind of wish you would shut up about Mac Andrew. Post after post you've gone on about how you don't rate him. Must be 20 or 30 posts in the past three months. Once is enough.

[Demonstone 22,815]

9 hours ago, Chook said:

Cool that we might have a call of "Roo" to echo around the G.

His surname sounds like "Van Ruin" and, given he can play forward or back, he qualifies as a "Kombi".

Here is another Kombi Van Ruin.

[Demonland 73,140]

Nickname confirmed.

 

[Skuit 10,031]

So van Rooyen according to the AFL website comes from a Zimbabwean background. Can we quit with the Dutch thing now? It's a different continent. Also as such I have no idea how to pronounce his name. 

[Whispering_Jack 30,640]

2 minutes ago, dee-tox said:

I kind of wish you would shut up about Mac Andrew. Post after post you've gone on about how you don't rate him. Must be 20 or 30 posts in the past three months. Once is enough.

It might have escaped you that I was responding to Ivan’s comment in a discussion which involved Andrew. If you don’t like what I say then feel free to block me.

[IvanBartul13 2,564]

16 minutes ago, Whispering_Jack said:

 

Perhaps Richard Lounder but that was a long time ago.

Incredible football oddity, Richard Lounder, but he was actually a mature age behemoth when drafted and with the turning circle of a polar ice cap.  

The skinniest ruckmen/KPPs to pass my eye and be drafted were Andrew Erickson to Sydney and Tony Bourke Carlton.  They were absolute rakes and I think Bourke played a couple of games but Erickson didn't.  I think both struggled to add meat to their frames which killed their careers.   Neither had Andrew's spring or ballskills, so they arent good guides i dont think.  He is pretty much a completely unique footballer that is impossible to project.

[Handlebarz 9]

Welcome to the mighty Ds Jacob … it’s a wild ride

[dee-tox 4,835]

10 minutes ago, Whispering_Jack said:

It might have escaped you that I was responding to Ivan’s comment in a discussion which involved Andrew. If you don’t like what I say then feel free to block me.

Your obsession is bizarre. You seemingly make every post about Andrew. I wonder if you'd be as obsessed trashing an 18 year friend of your grandson as opposed to an 18 year old kid from Sudan?

[durango 2,023]

I watched the highlight but when you look at recruits you have to watch what he does when he does not have the ball or his positioning when players are coming down the ground.

Punching the ball when he is behind and tackling when it is your turn to go.

He has time on his side and our Development coach Williams will make him work his a*** off to improve his deficiencies and make him a more rounded player.

Only time will tell whether he is a great player like David Neitz or a Jack Watts who was a great U18 player due to his size.