Why Petracca, Oliver and Gawn could just be the best Demons yet

 

 

The article was going well until Chris Connelly and Cameron Schwab got a mention.. 🤮

Have thought for a few years now that Oliver in particular will end up the best player in the clubs history.

He can't replicate the sheer genius skills of the great Robbie Flower, but he does things that no other midfielder has ever done in our colors, and he does it with a consistency that the league has rarely witnessed.

......and then there's the best ruckman the club has ever seen, and the explosive game changing bull in Petracca.

It really will be a failure if we don't win 2 or 3 flags with this list. It's bloody magnificent.

4 minutes ago, faultydet said:

Have thought for a few years now that Oliver in particular will end up the best player in the clubs history.

He can't replicate the sheer genius skills of the great Robbie Flower, but he does things that no other midfielder has ever done in our colors, and he does it with a consistency that the league has rarely witnessed.

......and then there's the best ruckman the club has ever seen, and the explosive game changing bull in Petracca.

It really will be a failure if we don't win 2 or 3 flags with this list. It's bloody magnificent.

I don’t think we have seen anything like it at least since the Brisbane three peat midfield with Black, Scott brothers and Voss.

Only time will tell whether our boys will etch their names into the history books. 

The May, Petty and Lever trio might also be something worth a mention given the points against records. 
 

Robbie made the game look like a dance. He looked like he was just stepping through it.Thats the difference.

1 hour ago, dazzledavey36 said:

The article was going well until Chris Connelly and Cameron Schwab got a mention.. 🤮

Rough on Connolly.

It’s really hard to compare players across eras. Hell, it’s really hard to compare players in the same era. Who’s the better player between Oliver or Gawn? I haven’t seen Max get 30 contested possessions in a game, nor have I seen Clayton take endless contested marks at crucial times of games. They’re totally different players, but both contribute enormously to our momentum.

What I do know is that we’ve never had three players of this quality playing together all at once though. The last time I saw a team that did was the 2001-2004 Brisbane Lions juggernaut.

This is a special time for the club and us as fans. Chances are, we won’t see a group like this again in our lifetimes. Savour it while it lasts.

Just now, Nasher said:

It’s really hard to compare players across eras. Hell, it’s really hard to compare players in the same era. Who’s the better player between Oliver or Gawn? I haven’t seen Max get 30 contested possessions in a game, nor have I seen Clayton take endless contested marks at crucial times of games, but both contribute enormously to our momentum.

What I do know is that we’ve never had three players of this quality playing together all at once though. The last time I saw a team that did was the 2001-2004 Brisbane Lions juggernaut.

This is a special time for the club and us as fans. Chances are, we won’t see a group like this again in our lifetimes. Savour it while it lasts.

As an opposition supporter it was Voss, Black, Lappin, Akermanis who you'd fear of what potential damage they could do to your team from a playing perspective. They certainly were a juggernaut. 

Always wondered if the West Coast could have snared another flag under Cox, Cousins, Judd, Fletcher and Kerr had that club not imploded with the drug scandal and Judd not going home. 

4 minutes ago, dazzledavey36 said:

As an opposition supporter it was Voss, Black, Lappin, Akermanis who you'd fear of what potential damage they could do to your team from a playing perspective. They certainly were a juggernaut. 

Always wondered if the West Coast could have snared another flag under Cox, Cousins, Judd, Fletcher and Kerr had that club not imploded with the drug scandal and Judd not going home. 

Yep, the “fab 4” were incredible. I would say very loose equivalence would be Trac to Voss (powerful, skilful, untacklable) and Oliver to Black (sees through traffic as if it isn’t there). We don’t have a player as lethal as Akermanis, who could do anything from destroy you through the middle to park in the forward line and kick 5 goals. But those flag teams had combinations of Clark Keating (2), Beau McDonald (2) and Jamie Charman (1) as rucks - all decent but nothing particularly special and certainly no Max Gawn.

Good point on those West Coast era mids. I’d forgotten. Maybe there are more I’ve forgotten. 

2 hours ago, Nasher said:

It’s really hard to compare players across eras. Hell, it’s really hard to compare players in the same era. Who’s the better player between Oliver or Gawn? I haven’t seen Max get 30 contested possessions in a game, nor have I seen Clayton take endless contested marks at crucial times of games. They’re totally different players, but both contribute enormously to our momentum.

I couldn't help but look this up, and funnily enough their most contested marks each happened in the same game.

Max Gawn - Most contested possessions 20 - Round 23 2019 Vs North Melbourne
Clayton Oliver - Most contested possessions 27 - Round 10 2021 Vs Adelaide

Max Gawn - Most contested marks - 8 - Round 5 vs Hawthorn 2021
Clayton Oliver - Most contested marks - 2 - Round 5 vs Hawthorn 2021 and Round 10 2021 Vs Adelaide

Edited May 5, 20222 yr by FritschyBusiness

9 hours ago, Damo said:

Robbie made the game look like a dance. He looked like he was just stepping through it.Thats the difference.

Jack Dyer nailed it when he famously refered to Robbie Flower as "The Rudolph Nureyev of football"

9 hours ago, Damo said:

Robbie made the game look like a dance. He looked like he was just stepping through it.Thats the difference.

And Flower could kick a hell of a lot better, if Oliver can clean this area up he will go close.

You can’t really fairly compare Robbie to Tracc and Clayton, Robbie was more of a one man band with a license  to thrill whereas Tracc and Clayton have to play within team rules. I cannot remember seeing a trifecta of players to match Gawn, Petracca & Oliver at MFC. Our current list is far superior to anything that we have seen since the Norm Smith era.

Max Gawn barring injury will get his 6th AA in 7 years (only missing 2017 due to injury)

Played only 166 games. Premiership captain (hopefully more than once)

2 x BnFs

Coaches award 2018

2022 Averages:  21 disposals, 1.0 gaols, 27 hitouts, 6 marks

Certainly a once in a lifetime player, especially considering his cultural and personal impact he has had on the group

10 hours ago, Damo said:

Robbie made the game look like a dance. He looked like he was just stepping through it.Thats the difference.

Members’ wing at the MCG. Ball kicked high  towards Robbie and his opponent. No other players near. There was never a question as to who would weave left, weave right, win the contest, grab the ball and kick it long towards the Melbourne goal. 

Edited May 6, 20222 yr by Hampton 22

I think Max Gawn has a big say in it. there is no doubt Oliver and Petracca benefit from having the best ruckman of the modern era tapping it to them

2 hours ago, demon3165 said:

And Flower could kick a hell of a lot better, if Oliver can clean this area up he will go close.

Flowers contested marking for a bloke as skinny as he, was phenomenal. 

And you could put him at half back, wing or half forward and he was just as dangerous.

I tend to not rate the players of yesteryear compared to todays, but this guy would have been something else playing in todays team. 

Agree with Nasher in that we are unlikely to see a group like this again in our lifetimes. Savor it.

I would love to see Robbie play the wing in our current team. He would fit in seamlessly 

14 minutes ago, FarNorthernD said:

I would love to see Robbie play the wing in our current team. He would fit in seamlessly 

But who would he replace!

Interchange I guess or medical sub!

2 hours ago, DubDee said:

2022 Averages:  21 disposals, 1.0 gaols, 27 hitouts, 6 marks

Gee, minus hitouts, you'd be happy if those stats came from one of your midfielders never mind a 6 ft 8 ruckman.

Stats aside, if you look at his impact on games, It boggles the mind that Max is actually getting better. His ability to hit the scoreboard on a regular basis over the last two seasons has elevated him to a whole new level. 

Looking forward to the Gawn/Jackson vs Ryder/Marshall ruck battle this weekend. Probably the two best ruck combos in the competition at the moment.

Really makes you appreciate the quality we have on our list when players the calibre of Jack Viney, Ed Langdon and Angus Brayshaw are secondary stars, in any other Melbourne era in my 45 years supporting we would have been very happy with them as the main men!

Yes, it’s amazing to have these players.

Probably should try to get to the games and enjoy it…

13 minutes ago, rpfc said:

Yes, it’s amazing to have these players.

Probably should try to get to the games and enjoy it…

Watching the way we run as a unit at the games is a sight to behold

The only player who could not be replaced by Robbie is Maxie.

I would pick Robbie first ahead of any current players who would all struggle to reproduce their current form as they would spend too much time watching Robbie perform magic.

 

7 hours ago, dazzledavey36 said:

As an opposition supporter it was Voss, Black, Lappin, Akermanis who you'd fear of what potential damage they could do to your team from a playing perspective. They certainly were a juggernaut. 

 

Oliver, Petracca, Viney, Langdon and Brayshaw, as a group, are as formidable as the lions fab four and have the enormous benefit of two ruckmen who can play as midfielders.