Which player or players do you think can step up and make an impact in 24? I reckon of the younger brigade Laurie will step up and I expect McAdam to play a forward role.

Blake Howes.

based on performance I think Turner, who is improving like JVR the year before.

Woewodin, I thought he showed enough last year in the games he played.

Woewodin or Howes.

Woey II can do a lot of different things well which should give him more opportunities.

Howes is the type of player we could use in terms of physical traits. If he can stay healthy he might surprise as he offers a point of difference.

Laurie - from all reports he’s taken a significant step forward with his fitness (coming 3rd in the 2km time trial), which is what Judd credited for his breakthrough into the senior side last year 

We’ve been crying out for classier ball users and if Laurie can hold down a spot averaging 15-20 possessions a game (which an increased fitness base should allow him to do) it will go a long way to addressing one of our biggest areas of weakness

I’ve never seen the kid play but I’ll go Jed Adams.

I think the club must have real faith in the progress of Jed Adams given that they skipped the chance at Dan Curtin in the draft. I'd expect to see him sliding into the tall defender mix as the kid surrounded by the old men Lever, May and Tomlinson! Oddly enough, if Petty remains forward then Adams is actually our tallest defender.

There's going to be huge competition for spots in our midfield and medium forward roles this season. Woewodin seems like the most versatile of the group who will keep getting games each week, and thus most likely to get a good block of form going and develop consistency throughout games and over the season.

Also, Jefferson will come in at some point during the season, and kick a goal a game and take a few useful marks on the lead and without being a spectacle in himself will make a disproportionate difference to our game. Think of it as what you get if you add 20cm to Charlie Spargo.

 

Judd McVee👍

They don't come around every year necessarily. That's what makes Judd McVee Judd McVee.

Judd McVee’s debut season is  the exception rather than the rule. Running my ruler along the line rather than through it, to add the millimetre perfect hyphen. 

In the tradition of Audley Gillespie-Jones, Ivor Warne- Smith, Trent Ormond-Allen, Jay Kennedy-Harris and Alex Neal-Bullen my nomination is Andy Moniz-Wakefield the local lad. 

Admittedly some wide degrees of auspiciousness on that list. From just about absolute bust to double Brown-Low divinity. But a debut and some on going opportunity would be terrific for AMZ. A young man with a 🔥 desire to succeed.

Koltyn Tholstrup

46 minutes ago, Macca said:

Koltyn Tholstrup

I still hold to the opinion I expressed earlier but KT is a very good prospect to replicate the achievements of JMcV. And if he doesn't, that's no knock on him either.

2 minutes ago, pitmaster said:

I still hold to the opinion I expressed earlier but KT is a very good prospect to replicate the achievements of JMcV. And if he doesn't, that's no knock on him either.

Mine is just a gut-feeling just working off the highlights reel.  Seems to create time for himself with nice elusive skills

Of course, the AFL is a completely different beast so unless a player is a quick-thinker, they can struggle.  Tholstrup seems to have enough speed in his legs but time will tell

Take the last player you’d ever expect to play all games and become one of our most reliable players with and without ball in hand.

No one saw McVee coming and now he’s tracking to be the best Judd to ever play the game!

 

4 hours ago, TeamPlayedFine39 said:

Take the last player you’d ever expect to play all games and become one of our most reliable players with and without ball in hand.

No one saw McVee coming and now he’s tracking to be the best Judd to ever play the game!

 

His teammates did - refer the occasional club website interviews during the pre-season (which I linked to in (MB)JMcV's 'Welcome to...' thread).

I'll be looking for those again this year. But pending them, I'm going to go out on a (long!) limb: Tom Fullarton!

7 hours ago, Macca said:

Koltyn Tholstrup

Wouldn't mind this, though!

Edited January 7, 20241 yr by Timothy Reddan-A'Blew

8 hours ago, Macca said:

Koltyn Tholstrup

I can hear Richo in my head calling him a cult hero after every goal.

Edited January 7, 20241 yr by John Demonic

I think posters are a year ahead with Windsor, Tholstrup and Brown. Judd played at least one year at Casey. JVR the same.

We are a strong team of senior players and I think Melbourne will give these kids a year in the VFL just as a matter of course.

They seem to have a pretty good system in place where you learn your craft and build your body year 1. Koltyn would have to be something special to buck that system.

I think the guys that are expected to show up and present as AFL players this year are Laurie, Howes, Woey Jnr and Turner. Adams is the one that no-one really expects to play seniors this year and although he has had enough time in the system now, he does have room for another year of building as a tall, so if he came in and played significant AFL time he would fit the brief as a surprise bolter.

Of the newbies I really like Kynan Brown

19 hours ago, Little Goffy said:

I think the club must have real faith in the progress of Jed Adams given that they skipped the chance at Dan Curtin in the draft.

Or they back themselves to trade in/FA a May replacement in the event Petty stays frwd (or leaves) and existing stock doesn’t make it.

8 hours ago, John Demonic said:

I can hear Richo in my head calling him a cult hero after every goal.

Kult hero

Marty Hore for me. Melbourne recruited the 28 year old for a reason so they obviously see a role there for him. 

The one I'd love to see bolt into McVee territory would be AMW. If he can replace Chandler, who I think is a solid but limited player, then we'd have a far more dynamic front half presuming McAdam becomes a solid contributor. I'd also really like to see Turner become the 3rd tall. For mine Tomlinson is a May backup and remains depth. The 3rd one is Howes. I have no idea if he has the tools to make it but if he's quick with a penetrating kick who can run all day then I think there's a spot on a wing for him. If Adams of Jefferson are playing seniors then our injury list is season ending...

Crystal Balling Judd McVee, February 2023

DistrACTION Jackson

Posted February 14, 2023

I think there's a very low chance that Jefferson debuts this year. If van Rooyen didn't last year, I can't see the selectors backflipping on this philosophy and picking him this year given his slim size.

My thoughts on the 5 most likely to debut this year:

1. Jacob van Rooyen

2. Blake Howes

3. Judd McVee

4. Bailey Laurie

5. Taj Woewodin 

Lord Travis

Posted February 14, 2023

JVR, Howes, Woey.

JVR a lock to play barring a serious injury before round 1. Could become best 22 if he handles senior level well.

No others likely to become best 22, but could see Howes, Woey, Laurie all getting a run at some point if they perform well at VFL level. Howes in particular has been close to selection already and shown flashes this preseason in match simulations.

Jefferson needs time to build his body and learn at Casey. He sits behind BB, Tmac, JVR, Schache in the pecking order for tall forwards at this stage.
Mcvee doesn't look likely and probably be delisted end of year tbh.
Deakyn Smith could potentially surprise as a small defender, but is an outside chance. Would be great if he could take over the Hibberd smaller defender lockdown role.

waynewussell

Posted February 14, 2023

McVee is progressing well. Those who have attended pre-season would be aware that he is highly regarded and is doing well as a defender in match sim... more likely to get an extension than be delisted. 

Whispering_Jack

Posted February 17, 2023

I recall reading at the time when Melbourne drafted Judd McVee as a rookie at the end of 2021, that the recruiters were relying in part on the initial impression he made when he was part of WA’s midfield mix two years earlier in the state's Under 16 National Championships campaign in 2019. 

It was back then that McVee’s class came to the fore. He was regarded as a clean ball handler, an efficient disposer of the football who had a cool head. His stocks fell during the Covid19 years and he barely held on to his state spot but managed to take a place across half back for WA in what were regarded as the U19 Nationals of 2021.

It’s still a way to go but hopefully, the long memory and/or faith paid in him by a Demon recruiter plus his own hard work and development will pay off in spades. 

On 07/01/2024 at 09:30, Redleg said:

Blake Howes.

A well placed source told me that Blake Howes does some unbelievable things on the training track and is ready to explode. The source compared his fend off and running as looking very similar to Chad Warner.