16 hours ago, Rodney (Balls) Grinter said:

Feel absolutely gutted for Melksham, so can't even imagine how he'd be feeling about all this.  Remember him saying a few weeks back that he was just playing every game like his last and I fear that at his age, that might now be true.

Thought that along with some others that didn't quite make it into the premiership team in 2021, such as Bernie Vince, AvB, Jonesy etc, that Jake was a huge part of the group that lifted the MFC back from obscurity, into a compeditive finals team that believed in it's self.

His persistence to fight back into the team over the past two seasons was both inspirational and exhilarating.  Really loved the agressive, compeditive and attacking way he took on the game.   He'd back him self for the impossible shot, have a ping at the sticks when it was on and although he had his share of misses, he'd nail a good portion too (like this one https://youtu.be/Oaw0TDkbI0s?si=bWcikia9Q5wHfBVI ) - probably better than holding it up and kicking to a contested situation or pack of waiting opposition defenders on most occations.  Also think the MFC needed a few players with the combative attitude of never taking a backwards step Jake brings, so well illistrated in the 2018 elimination final against Geelong (see from 0:48 of https://youtu.be/CNGOI8QuEMA?si=LzfcSiNzwkYEWaKW ).  Can only imagine some of this would have rubbed off on our current forward mix over the past 6 - 8 weeks that Jake's been in the side.

If the fist fight between him and Maysey was a sign of disunity and the wheels falling off our season a bit last year, ironically, maybe Jake's missfortune could a catalyst for galvanizing the team for finals this year.

Applaud everything you said there. He has so much to offer in a skill level in a courage level and in a melding level.

An example of all of those three was when, in Sunday's game he took it upon himself to join an unnecessary contest  and in so doing legally removed another competitor away from a mark and goal taken by Fritch.  This was going on all year and helped lay the path for the good that Cossie JVR now do consistently in our forward setup.

I reckon it goes  back to his former club days because it was done there religiously.

Happy Birthday Jake 

He needs some cheer today after the outcome of his scans 

Was thinking about time at Melbourne today, its has been a bit of a whirlwind.

Right from the start when we got the trade in he had to sit out the season because of the Jet Fumes and their peptides. Finally got in for 2017, completely changed his game and started really showcasing those footskills. One highlight in 2018 no-one talks about is the goal at Optus stadium to put us back in front against West Coast and then the sealer in that game. Obviously there was then that beauty against Hawthorn in the semi.

That brilliant game against Carlton last year, THAT goal against Brisbane this year. The number of times we needed a goal and he was the one to supply it. Those checkside kicks that he made look easy. 

A great clubman, you need characters like Jake in a footy club. Now it seems that Jake will end his time at Melbourne the way it started, on the outside looking in. He copped it from a lot of us over the journey, myself included. I have the utmost respect for the guy and I just hope for nothing but the best.

Footy sucks sometimes.

11 hours ago, layzie said:

Was thinking about time at Melbourne today, its has been a bit of a whirlwind.

Right from the start when we got the trade in he had to sit out the season because of the Jet Fumes and their peptides. Finally got in for 2017, completely changed his game and started really showcasing those footskills. One highlight in 2018 no-one talks about is the goal at Optus stadium to put us back in front against West Coast and then the sealer in that game. Obviously there was then that beauty against Hawthorn in the semi.

That brilliant game against Carlton last year, THAT goal against Brisbane this year. The number of times we needed a goal and he was the one to supply it. Those checkside kicks that he made look easy. 

A great clubman, you need characters like Jake in a footy club. Now it seems that Jake will end his time at Melbourne the way it started, on the outside looking in. He copped it from a lot of us over the journey, myself included. I have the utmost respect for the guy and I just hope for nothing but the best.

Nicely said.

On 8/29/2023 at 3:39 PM, Willmoy1947 said:

Glad you owned up.

Once I got over his previous Club I have been  regular fan on here and the old Ology.

As someone noted above...footskills when no one seemed to think them a relevant skill.

Certainly not the school children on here

Edited August 30, 20231 yr by IRW

On 8/28/2023 at 3:16 PM, IRW said:

Especially since pretty much most of  Land had stopped bagging him and were pretending he was their favourite. 

I will own up - Mia culpa.  
Thought that once he passed 100 Demon games he would have been out out to pasture. 
His latter half of 2023 has been enormous. 

On 8/28/2023 at 3:46 PM, Deebauched said:

Realistically he wont play next year. 12 months rehab. September unlikely without match fitness.

34 in 2025? He'll hang up his boots.

Very unfortunate. 

Maybe Webber (or other experts) could elaborate.  Is the LARS procedure still popular for older players?  It was once quite fashionable and players got back in maybe 6 months though there were reservations about longevity. 

On 8/28/2023 at 3:57 PM, WalkingCivilWar said:

You know, for mine, this is an elephant in the room that I’ve resisted addressing. That’s because those who almost made a hobby of bagging Melksy all along and who are now singing his praises… they know. They know who they are, and maybe they’ll think twice about doing this to another of our players in the future. It’s not hard to rein in the insults  ❤️💙

 

Well put.  Jake has silenced (most of) his critics this year. 

11 hours ago, monoccular said:

Thought that once he passed 100 Demon games he would have been out out to pasture. 
His latter half of 2023 has been enormous. 

You can aalso put me in that camp;  I thought his career was finished and he was just limping to the line, perhaps with a cameo as the sub.

Proved me totally wrong aand the footy department totally right

12 hours ago, monoccular said:

Maybe Webber (or other experts) could elaborate.  Is the LARS procedure still popular for older players?  It was once quite fashionable and players got back in maybe 6 months though there were reservations about longevity. 

Yeah, haven’t seen one for years, quite simply because they break. Surgeons have therefore gone off them, because they run like spooked sheep from ‘failures’. The Swans player whose name I can’t remember was an exception, but if he followed clinical patterns it would have broken by now. Thus, anyone who gets one, ultimately needs an allograft (own tissue) replacement anyway, meaning another significant knee surgery, increased likelihood of early degeneration in the knee, and so on. The next best, and thus fastest, is a cadaver graft, harvested from donor bodies, but the graft still has to go through a ‘dead’ phase, before enlivening again with its own blood supply, meaning still 6-9 months (as against 9 - 12). The only difference between that and standard allograft (hamstring, quadriceps or patellar tendon) is the absence of issues related to harvesting your own tissue, which isn’t a problem long term anyway. Cadaver grafts are popular in countries with ‘opt out’ organ donor programmes (and meniscal transplants are WAY ahead in those places). Our organ donation policy is ‘opt-in’, which nobody wants to talk about, so cadaver grafting is niche in Australia. 
Too much info? 

Edited August 30, 20231 yr by Webber

37 minutes ago, Webber said:

Yeah, haven’t seen one for years, quite simply because they break. Surgeons have therefore gone off them, because they run like spooked sheep from ‘failures’. The Swans player whose name I can’t remember was an exception, but if he followed clinical patterns it would have broken by now. Thus, anyone who gets one, ultimately needs an allograft (own tissue) replacement anyway, meaning another significant knee surgery, increased likelihood of early degeneration in the knee, and so on. The next best, and thus fastest, is a cadaver graft, harvested from donor bodies, but the graft still has to go through a ‘dead’ phase, before enlivening again with its own blood supply, meaning still 6-9 months (as against 9 - 12). The only difference between that and standard allograft (hamstring, quadriceps or patellar tendon) is the absence of issues related to harvesting your own tissue, which isn’t a problem long term anyway. Cadaver grafts are popular in countries with ‘opt out’ organ donor programmes (and meniscal transplants are WAY ahead in those places). Our organ donation policy is ‘opt-in’, which nobody wants to talk about, so cadaver grafting is niche in Australia. 
Too much info? 

Excellent post, Webber. Thankyou.

So, Melksham will know that because of his age his only chance to play in a Premiership is 2024 .That can only happen if he's back playing senior football by (say) early August which means playing VFL by July. It would not surprise me in the least if he pursued the LARS approach (assuming it suits his particular injury) to give him that opportunity in the full knowledge that he will eventually need an allograft.  

Melk deserves an extension.   I thought he was a one trick forward - wanting the ball over the back or trying to muscle against an opponent to take a mark.  But he's showed how flexible he is as he how runs around creating space and leaping for marks (even if he doesn't mark it, the ball comes to ground).  If he gets back to play ones it would be great but even at Casey, his experience would be invaluable to young forwards.

1 hour ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

Excellent post, Webber. Thankyou.

So, Melksham will know that because of his age his only chance to play in a Premiership is 2024 .That can only happen if he's back playing senior football by (say) early August which means playing VFL by July. It would not surprise me in the least if he pursued the LARS approach (assuming it suits his particular injury) to give him that opportunity in the full knowledge that he will eventually need an allograft.  

More likely I think @La Dee-vina Comedia is that he would go allograft, hope his rehab is optimal, and return to full matchplay at 9 months, which would be start of June (theoretically assuming he had surgery this week). The only reason full return to sport has more recently been pushed to 12 months is not to do with graft strength (it’s fully revascularised by 9 months), but decreased incidence of knee joint irritability. That would ultimately settle, so it’s a minimal long term risk. Optimally, he’d get 3 months footy pre-finals. Will all depend, as it should, on how Jake feels about another go round. 

Edited August 31, 20231 yr by Webber

On 8/27/2023 at 8:06 PM, OhMyDees said:

Shame you can’t report players who cause injuries. The Sydney player clearly pushes him off play that caused the ACL - dog act.

Massive Overreaction. There was no force or malice intended in the push. Jake was just very unlucky.

3 hours ago, Jontee said:

You can aalso put me in that camp;  I thought his career was finished and he was just limping to the line, perhaps with a cameo as the sub.

Proved me totally wrong aand the footy department totally right

Jake’s 200th game is memorable to me because when he ran out he was so proud he seemed 10ft tall. It was a delight to see. I thought about the disgusting, belittling comments on here - which were legion at the time - and was happy he didn’t seem aware of such bile, and from his team’s own fans, no less. But that was then. Now he’s getting the love and support that he’s always deserved.

Let’s never do this to one of our own again. ❤️💙

On 8/28/2023 at 6:39 AM, chookrat said:

If ACL is confirmed and Jake can't play finals is there anything to stop him from being a runner. Imagine him running out and delivering messages to the players, he wiuld be inspirational.

Soz but I’ve already got dibs on this job once Reece Conca resigns. Reece told me this himself. 🤪

Paul Connors on "Gettable" was saying the ACL injury wasn't as bad as it could be and that Jake could be playing again by July next year. He said it's given him something to think about 🤞

Special Affects, Assistant Coach..

In the recent interview, Max referred to 'Melksham's return' so a good chance he gets a new contract. 🙂.   He could be back at next year's mid season bye, in about 10 months.

Edited August 31, 20231 yr by Lucifers Hero

After the Acls, had to watch Premiership highlights to lift my mood - it works.

3 hours ago, Lucifers Hero said:

In the recent interview, Max referred to 'Melksham's return' so a good chance he gets a new contract. 🙂.   He could be back at next year's mid season bye, in about 10 months.

Probably the best we could hope for LH. Is there any option to go to rookie list if needed? 

1 hour ago, layzie said:

Probably the best we could hope for LH. Is there any option to go to rookie list if needed? 

I really dislike the way the rookie list is used these days. In my opinion it should only ever be used for players under the age of 20 who didn't get selected in the main draft. (I exclude category B rookies, although I wouldn't call players in that category "rookies" anyway). If the AFL wants to have a list for delisted players who are getting second or third chances or players with long-term injuries, by all means allow it...just don't use up spots for genuine "rookies" in doing so. Call it a "supplementary list" or something else.

20 hours ago, Roger Mellie said:

Paul Connors on "Gettable" was saying the ACL injury wasn't as bad as it could be and that Jake could be playing again by July next year. He said it's given him something to think about 🤞

That's fantastic news for Jake if he's back by July in time for hopefully another finals campaign.

I wonder what differentiates a 'good' ACL injury from a 'bad' one?

3 hours ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

I really dislike the way the rookie list is used these days. In my opinion it should only ever be used for players under the age of 20 who didn't get selected in the main draft. (I exclude category B rookies, although I wouldn't call players in that category "rookies" anyway). If the AFL wants to have a list for delisted players who are getting second or third chances or players with long-term injuries, by all means allow it...just don't use up spots for genuine "rookies" in doing so. Call it a "supplementary list" or something else.

It made a bit more sense before free agency but I tend to agree now. There's a lot of avenues for mature players to get other chances now. 

On 8/31/2023 at 9:31 AM, Webber said:

Yeah, haven’t seen one for years, quite simply because they break. Surgeons have therefore gone off them, because they run like spooked sheep from ‘failures’. The Swans player whose name I can’t remember was an exception, but if he followed clinical patterns it would have broken by now. Thus, anyone who gets one, ultimately needs an allograft (own tissue) replacement anyway, meaning another significant knee surgery, increased likelihood of early degeneration in the knee, and so on. The next best, and thus fastest, is a cadaver graft, harvested from donor bodies, but the graft still has to go through a ‘dead’ phase, before enlivening again with its own blood supply, meaning still 6-9 months (as against 9 - 12). The only difference between that and standard allograft (hamstring, quadriceps or patellar tendon) is the absence of issues related to harvesting your own tissue, which isn’t a problem long term anyway. Cadaver grafts are popular in countries with ‘opt out’ organ donor programmes (and meniscal transplants are WAY ahead in those places). Our organ donation policy is ‘opt-in’, which nobody wants to talk about, so cadaver grafting is niche in Australia. 
Too much info? 

Any time you use the term ‘cadaver’ - yes, you have performed a ‘TMI’ as the kids would say…

17 minutes ago, rpfc said:

Any time you use the term ‘cadaver’ - yes, you have performed a ‘TMI’ as the kids would say…

Nah talking about cadavers is based (another term the kids use).