Who is Melbournes Most Improved Player of 2007 ?

[Deano74 156]

We expect certain players to perform eg> Robbo, McDonald etc. But who on our list has improved most since last season ? expected or not.

Godfrey has surprised me with his performances this year, he is becoming an important part of the side, which he may not been in previous years.

Jones and Bate a further along in their development than last year.

[praha 10,283]

Colin Sylvia is up there. Godfrey is too. Wheatley has impressed in two games and Bizzell as well. All of them bar Sylvia have exceeded many peoples expectations I think.

[FitZ 0]

Paul Johnson maybe, he has been pretty good this year

[Daniel 0]

Paul Johnson maybe, he has been pretty good this year

from an outsiders point of view definately p.johnson, he has really come into his own.

bate and jone will be stars

[RickyBobby 0]

Paul Johnson maybe, he has been pretty good this year

Yeah would have to agree Johnson for me is a standout improver, Jones continues to improve and is going to be such a valuable player for many years to come. 2007 was definately a make or break year for Wheatley and on current form he has shown some definite improvement but still has alot to prove in my opinion.

[Yze_Magic 3]

Daniel Bell by a mile

[Doggo 32]

At this stage you'd have to say it's a race between Sylvia, PJ, Bell, and to a lesser extent Bate and Jones.

I say to a lesser extent for the latter 2 because they were pretty much expected to do very well this season and were earmarked by Neale Daniher as players who were going to get a lot of chances to make names for themselves at AFL level. And also, they had immediate impacts from pretty much their first games onwards. Godders has been tagging outta his skin this year, but has been around for a long long time and i highly doubt he would win the Most Improved award come seasons end.

Sylvia much in the same boat as Jones and Bate, but has been around for longer and, whilst was always expected to make the next step sooner rather than later, many have been waiting for that 'big improvement' from him for some time. He's doing exceptionally well and has found his niche with Bate as undersized, mobile CHF targets.

Daniel Bell's consistent good form would also have to have him right up there for the award too, but i think he was expected to do well after solid form in the second half of last year.

PJ is the big one for me, in that he has been given the opportunity that he missed thru injury, and also poor form early last year, and really is starting to look the goods. Has improved immensely with his overhead marking and contesting, and is growing in confidence every week. Finally believes he belongs at the top level, and is playing like he believes it, which would probably have him close to the #1 position at this stage for Most Improved, but really it could go to any of the players mentioned already in this post.

[TonyMelb 7]

Daniel Bell by a mile

Totally Agree. Belly has had a great year.

PJ is improving well too as are Bater and Jonesy.

Wheats is not quite at 100% fitness from his shoulder which has limited him a bit in tackling especially But he is an important player cos of height and good long kicking.

Godders is now a "star right footer". Said at ther after match has kicked most of his 4 goals this year on the right side!

[Deano74 156]

Daniel Bell by a mile

Daniel Bell has been a revelation this year, he has definately taken the next step. Paul Johnston was always going to improve because he was injured for most of last year.

[Kit Walker 207]

Bell - Has now become a quality versatile backman

Godfrey - Has stopped pretending he is TJ and now just stops others getting the footy (plus the right foot goal!)

Paul Johnson - Can mark overhead, kick and get hit outs

[WonnaJurah 5]

Belly for sure as well as Wheats , in the 2 games he has been back in he has been close to BOG ,hopefully more to come

also mentiion to Bate,Bizzell and Godders who look to be in our starting 22 week by week now

[Rogue 585]

Easily Paul Johnson for me.

Bell was in my starting 18 at the end of '06.

[Madness 44]

Daniel Bell by a mile

I ugh, actually agree with you!

[deanox 8,630]

for mine its PJ or Bell. you can make a case for either...

[The HuLK 139]

Daniel Bell... By a long shot

[Nasher 33,068]

Easily Paul Johnson for me.

Bell was in my starting 18 at the end of '06.

Agree. PJ has improved out of sight this year IMO; Bell always had it.

[Jaded No More 58,066]

Agree. PJ has improved out of sight this year IMO; Bell always had it.

Exactly.

Belly was never in doubt.

PJ has surprised me, because he was a hopeless ruckman last year and he couldn't mark overhead to save himself. Now he is excelling at both.

The likes of Jones, Bate and Sylvia are just showing their natural improvement which comes from more experience and better fitness.

[mikeod 21]

Daniel Bell by 8 and a half kilometers.

He's been sensational this year. Didak is one of the 'pies most important players - and Bell kept him to nothing.

[Yze_Magic 3]

Bell was a guaranteed starter last year , but a lot of it was due to that fact that outside an injury prone Matty Whelan we had zero small defenders

Now though, he is a gun

Hence, he is most improved

[Jonesy is the next captain 0]

Jones and Bate

[QueenC 74]

Daniel Bell by a mile

I ugh, actually agree with you!

That hurts, doesn't it........

But in my opinion he is actually right on this particular occasion.

[BrownlowBruce 1]

Bell

godders

Wheats

JONES

[pantaloons 2,019]

If I was handing out the award now, I'd give it to Bell because he has shown the most improvement, regardless of whether I knew he was going to get there eventually or not. However, PJ is not far behind, and if he continues to progress at the current rate and cement a spot in the 22 as our backup ruckman then he'd be a big chance by season's end. Bate, Sylvia and Godfrey would be some chance, but at the moment I'd suspect we're looking at Bell or Johnson for the award.

[Alan Smithee 0]

Bell - making it happen!

Bate - We now have a bona fide mobile multi dimensional, marking CHF who backs himself & can kick a goal from outside 50. Has speed and size.What a difference this makes to our side.

Sylvia - love to see him totally over the OP - tough, skillful, beautiful kick, great mark..now needs just a little more leg speed. should see it in '08

Godders - has shut down some big names. Goodes, Thompson etc

Jones - hard, quick and good footy nous.

P. Johnson - hopefully see a bit more of him in a few weeks. Signs are good.

[stevethemanjordan 6,952]

Bell was a guaranteed starter last year , but a lot of it was due to that fact that outside an injury prone Matty Whelan we had zero small defenders

Now though, he is a gun

Hence, he is most improved

Even last year he was a "gun" as you say YM but he couldn't string as many games together. Don't know if that was to do with him having a a few bad games or if there were other players more experienced that were played. I have always been on the bell-wagon. He always was a gun. Just needed to be played consistantly.