Jump to content

Featured Replies

Welcome Tom.

A backup ruck with experience that will cost us next to nothing. Think it's a smart move.

 

Welcome Tom.

Basically admitting that we stuffed up last year, but now have a 2nd ruck who would be able to fill in if needed and gives another year to assess Verrall.

I hope that he insists in his contract that he is guaranteed at least several games next season. The fate of most of our recent ones has been to fester away in Casey purgatory. I wouldn’t mind seeing a genuine dual ruck combination playing for a change and leave JVR to play in his rightful position. 

Edited by John Crow Batty

 
On 01/10/2024 at 12:42, Bring-Back-Powell said:

it's happening.gif | BigFooty Forum

 

Per Cal Twomey on Trade radio.

Welcome to the "4 club" Club Tom.

About as good as Fullarton! Another maestro move by our recruiting team!


Another strange move by the Dees, what position does and Verrall and Fullerton play?  I would pick up a tall delisted mid from another club.

10 hours ago, Demon Jack said:

Nothing against this. With Fullerton and Verrell still seemingly miles off selection (we choose to play Petty as a key ruck before them for goodness sake), Campbell seems a low risk high reward recruit.

Welcome TC.

Got it correctly, a low risk high reward recruit whom will excel given this opportunity . 

Well he definitely looks experienced, hope he can give us that ruck relief for Max when needed.  Keep thinking he is an awesome bloke and just great for club land, that can't be bad can it.

Edited by Young Angus

 
35 minutes ago, Redleg said:

Have we been rubbished in the media for this yet?

Nar but WAAAIT!


5 hours ago, John Crow Batty said:

I hope that he insists in his contract that he is guaranteed at least several games next season. The fate of most of our recent ones has been to fester away in Casey purgatory. I wouldn’t mind seeing a genuine dual ruck combination playing for a change and leave JVR to play in his rightful position. 

He is insurance in case Gawn is injured. He won't play seniors unless that happens.

1 hour ago, John Demonic said:

This bloke looks like he's been through the wars. Specifically Iraq and Afghanistan :laugh:

every-done-deal-from-fa-friday-v0-eqdwyhtzkpsd1.jpg.webp

He will need to tap into such resilience if he’s to succeed at MFC.

  • Author
14 hours ago, COOLX said:

Another strange move by the Dees, what position does and Verrall and Fullerton play?  I would pick up a tall delisted mid from another club.

Fullarton isn’t good enough to play ruck. We know that from this year. 

Verrall’s too young/thin/inexperienced/incapable to play first ruck in 2025.

There’s nothing strange or questionable about us taking an experienced ruckman to play in Gawn’s spot if required. The only question is whether Campbell is the best option for us. 

From Code Sports …

Tom Campbell is the AFL’s great survivor. The journeyman ruckman – who has never played more than nine games in an AFL season – officially joined his fourth AFL club on Friday when he was unveiled as a delisted free agency signing for Melbourne.

The 32-year-old, who was first selected by Western Bulldogs in the 2011 rookie draft, has spent the past 13 years on AFL lists for a total of 58 matches.

In that time he has turned out in 11 out the 13 years he has been listed at AFL level, including four matches for St Kilda in the past three years as Rowan Marshall’s understudy.

He also played 42 games in seven years as a Bulldog and 12 in three seasons at North Melbourne.

“Tom is an experienced, competitive ruck, who we are excited to welcome to the club,” Melbourne’s list manager Tim Lamb said. 

He is an outstanding character, and will provide depth and maturity in our ruck stocks, which has been a focus for us this off season. 

“We look forward to having Tom and his family as part of the red and blue.”

After his delisting in August, St Kilda’s David Misson said of Campbell: “Tom has been an incredible member of our playing group during his time here, having an invaluable impact on our emerging talent and ruck stocks.

“His generosity and kindness have made an indelible mark on those around him, and we know will stand him in great stead for this next stage with his young family.”

Campbell has the lowest average games played per season (4.46) of any player who will be listed for the 2025 season that has lasted in the AFL for a decade or more.

His tally of 58 games is equal to Collingwood defender Billy Frampton, who has been in the AFL system for 10 years.

Recently delisted Giant Braydon Preuss (28 games in 10 seasons), retired Richmond ruckman Sam Naismith (33 games, 11 years) and ex-Carlton defender Caleb Marchbank (63, 10 seasons) were the other players in the top five of the AFL’s game of survivor this year.

Next year, Ivan Soldo (65 games, 10 years), Marc Pittonet (73 games, 10 years) and Lewis Melican (84 games, 10 years) will join those ranks.

But Campbell will become the ultimate survivor after signing for Melbourne as Max Gawn’s understudy.

He has been one of the VFL’s dominant big men in recent years and averaged 18.8 disposals, 4.7 marks and 3.9 tackles a game for St Kilda’s affiliate Sandringham this year.

Campbell’s longevity does not come close to former Sydney, Gold Coast and North Melbourne ruckman Daniel Currie though. 

Currie played 10 AFL games in 10 seasons from 2007-2017 and once described himself as someone who had “given the term list clogger new meaning”.

Edited by spirit of norm smith
Xxx


On 04/10/2024 at 13:38, greenwaves said:

"Tom is an experienced, competitive ruck, who we are excited to welcome to the club," Melbourne list boss Tim Lamb said.

"He is an outstanding character, and will provide depth and maturity in our ruck stocks, Tim Lamb.

Reminds me of when they reckoned Tomlinson would solve our wing issues. Or Grundy could rotate fwd.

On 04/10/2024 at 20:48, Dr. Gonzo said:

He is insurance in case Gawn is injured. He won't play seniors unless that happens.

We don’t want to see Gawn run into the ground before the insurance claim is activated. I don’t want to see our most viable big forward prospect wasting time chopping out for Max in every game. JVR has had little positive effect in the ruck and his development as a key forward has been compromised. Goodwin got lucky with the “unicorn” Jackson/Gawn combination and is trying to repeat history but failed to repeat it with Grundy and JVR.

  • Author
53 minutes ago, gs77 said:

Reminds me of when they reckoned Tomlinson would solve our wing issues. Or Grundy could rotate fwd.

Silly comparison. 

Campbell’s been playing one position - ruck - for 12 years. 

Tomlinson came to us as a jack of all trades and if he had form on a wing it was fleeting. Grundy we all know wasn’t a forward. 

Once again, the question on Campbell isn’t whether he’s the right type of player to add to our list. He’s precisely what we’re after, a ruckman who can be the number one ruck if required. The only question is whether he’s the best option for that role. His VFL form this year suggests he’s at least in the conversation. 

On 23/09/2024 at 12:04, DeeSpencer said:

Would join Robbie Campbell as inspiring ruck recruits.

The only ways this makes sense is if they believe Verrall will be ready in 2026, they have a better target in 2026 or there’s just no one in the state leagues of any quality.

Either way, I’d again ask what the rush is if no one else wants him. Get the biggest and best 25 year old down for preseason training and if they aren’t up for it then sign Campbell. 

IMO Verrall will never be ready. I have yet to see a more than average game from him. 

1 hour ago, John Crow Batty said:

We don’t want to see Gawn run into the ground before the insurance claim is activated. I don’t want to see our most viable big forward prospect wasting time chopping out for Max in every game. JVR has had little positive effect in the ruck and his development as a key forward has been compromised. Goodwin got lucky with the “unicorn” Jackson/Gawn combination and is trying to repeat history but failed to repeat it with Grundy and JVR.

He won't be playing seniors if Gawn is playing. We aren't gonna waste a spot on someone who can pinch hit for 5 minutes a quarter and do nothing else. JVR has been fine when he's gone into the ruck, it's not ideal but unless we get someone in who can actually contribute as a forward and then pinch hit in the ruck (such as Peter Wright) we aren't playing two rucks.


On 04/10/2024 at 22:48, Dr. Gonzo said:

He is insurance in case Gawn is injured. He won't play seniors unless that happens.

Oh I see like Fullarton!! BRILLIANT STRATEGY as always MFC!

31 minutes ago, picket fence said:

Oh I see like Fullarton!! BRILLIANT STRATEGY as always MFC!

Nah more like Darcy Forte actually. Campbell can actually ruck unlike Fullarton.

Brisbane just won a GF because in a break glass situation where their no.1 ruck went down, they had an back up ruck (31) who was adequate, experienced and was able to compete with Grundy and help his midfield.

If Campbell was playing for MFC this year he would have come straight in with how consistently he performed at VFL level. 

Edited by Young Blood

On 06/10/2024 at 15:16, picket fence said:

Oh I see like Fullarton!! BRILLIANT STRATEGY as always MFC!

Where can  we get the club to mail you an application form for list manager, game day coach and chairman of selectors, fence?

(PS  I agree 100% that Fullarton seems to have been a terrible pick up)

Edited by monoccular

 

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...

Featured Content

  • NON-MFC: Round 10

    The Sir Doug Nicholls Round kicks off in Darwin with a Top 4 clash between the Suns and the Hawks. On Friday night the Swans will be seeking to rebound from a challenging start to the season, while the Blues have the Top 8 in their sights after their sluggish start. Saturdays matches kick off with a blockbuster between the Collingwood and Kuwarna with the Magpies looking to maintain their strong form and the Crows aiming to make a statement on the road. The Power face a difficult task to revive their season against a resilient Cats side looking to make amends for their narrow loss last week. The Giants aim to reinforce their top-eight status, while the Dockers will be looking to break the travel hoodoo. The sole Saturday game is a critical matchup for both teams, as the Bulldogs strive to cemet their spot in the top six and the Bombers desperately want break into the 8. Sundays start with a bottom 3 clash between the Tigers and Kangaroos with both teams wanting to avoid the being in wooden spoon contention. The Round concludes with the Eagles still searching for their first win of the season, while the Saints look to keep their finals hopes alive with a crucial away victory. Who are you tipping and what are the best results for the Demons?

      • Thanks
    • 55 replies
    Demonland
  • PREVIEW: Brisbane

    And just like that, we’re Narrm again. Even though the annual AFL Sir Doug Nicholls Round which commemorates the contributions of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander culture to our game has been a welcome addition to our calendar for ten years, more lately it has been a portent of tough times ahead for we beleaguered Narrm supporters. Ever since the club broke through for its historic 2021 premiership, this has become a troubling time of the year for the club. For example, it all began when Melbourne rebranded itself as Narrm across the two rounds of the Sir Doug Nicholls Round to become the first club to adopt an Indigenous club name especially for the occasion. It won its first outing under the brand against lowly North Melbourne to go to 10 wins and no losses but not without a struggle or a major injury to  star winger Ed Langdon who broke his ribs and missed several weeks. In the following week, still as Narrm, the team’s 17 game winning streak came to an end at the hands of the Dockers. That came along with more injuries, a plague that remained with them for the remainder of the season until, beset by injuries, the Dees were eliminated from the finals in straight sets. It was even worse last year, when Narrm inexplicably lowered its colours in Perth to the Waalit Marawar Eagles. Oh, the shame of it all! At least this year, if there is a corner to turn around, it has to be in the direction of something better. To that end, I produced a special pre-game chant in the local Narrm language - “nam mi:wi winnamun katjil prolin ambi ngamar thamelin amb” which roughly translated is “every heart beats true for the red and the blue.” >y belief is that if all of the Narrm faithful recite it long enough, then it might prove to be the only way to beat the Brisbane Lions at the Gabba on Sunday. The Lions are coming off a disappointing draw at Marvel Stadium against a North Melbourne team that lacks the ability and know how to win games (except when playing Melbourne). Brisbane are, however, a different kettle of fish at home and have very few positional weaknesses. They are a midfield powerhouse, strong in defence and have plenty of forward options, particularly their small and medium sized players, to kick a winning score this week after the sting of last week’s below par performance.

      • Clap
      • Thanks
      • Like
    • 9 replies
    Demonland
  • REPORT: Hawthorn

    There was a time during the current Melbourne cycle that goes back to before the premiership when the club was the toughest to beat in the fourth quarter. The Demons were not only hard to beat at any time but it was virtually impossible to get the better them when scores were close at three quarter time. It was only three or four years ago but they were fit, strong and resilient in body and mind. Sadly, those days are over. This has been the case since the club fell off its pedestal about 12 months ago after it beat Geelong and then lost to Carlton. In both instances, Melbourne put together strong, stirring final quarters, one that resulted in victory, the other, in defeat. Since then, the drop off has been dramatic to the point where it can neither pull off victory in close matches, nor can it even go down in defeat  gallantly.

      • Clap
      • Thanks
      • Like
    • 0 replies
    Demonland
  • CASEY: Footscray

    At twenty-four minutes into the third term of the game between the Casey Demons and Footscray VFL at Whitten Oval, the visitors were coasting. They were winning all over the ground, had the ascendancy in the ruck battles and held a 26 point lead on a day perfect for football. What could go wrong? Everything. The Bulldogs moved into overdrive in the last five minutes of the term and booted three straight goals to reduce the margin to a highly retrievable eight points at the last break. Bouyed by that effort, their confidence was on a high level during the interval and they ran all over the despondent Demons and kicked another five goals to lead by a comfortable margin of four goals deep into the final term before Paddy Cross kicked a couple of too late goals for a despondent Casey. A testament to their lack of pressure in the latter stages of the game was the fact that Footscray’s last ten scoring shots were nine goals and one rushed behind. Things might have been different for the Demons who went into the game after last week’s bye with 12 AFL listed players. Blake Howes was held over for the AFL game but two others, Jack Billings and Taj Woewodin (not officially listed as injured) were also missing and they could have been handy at the end. Another mystery of the current VFL system.

      • Thanks
    • 0 replies
    Demonland
  • PREGAME: Brisbane

    The Demons head back out on the road in Round 10 when they travel to Queensland to take on the reigning Premiers and the top of the table Lions who look very formidable. Can the Dees cause a massive upset? Who comes in and who goes out?

      • Thanks
      • Like
    • 241 replies
    Demonland
  • PODCAST: Hawthorn

    The Demonland Podcast will air LIVE on Monday, 12th May @ 8:00pm. Join Binman, George & I as we dissect the Demons loss to the Hawks. 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.

      • Clap
      • Thanks
      • Like
    • 53 replies
    Demonland