His highlights package looks good.

What were clubs 'knocks' on him that saw him fall from projected early top 30 to rookie?

The MFC looks to have plenty to work with and develop into a good player.

With Langford, Culley and Only - pretty tall mid timber. No doubt the club will trial him in many positions at Casey. Even has the speed and 'ball nous' to play running half back.

" The player he could be is what recruiters are looking at, though he can frustrate at times as one who often comes with the tag 'when he gets going' or 'at his best'."

From rookie me maybe sums it up and maybe why we picked him - could develop into a player.

Edited 3 hours ago3 hr by manny100

8 hours ago, RalphiusMaximus said:

I saw several kicks from the 50 arc drop short (see dodgy technique)

Yep. Looks like he kicks sacks to me. But the movement is sublime.

Interesting to see how he progresses.

Mentioned in the local Shepp News

Shepparton News

Shepparton United’s Riley Onley selected with third pick...

Onley’s AFL dreams have come true.

Edited 3 hours ago3 hr by Chelly

Noticed that Harvey Langford wore the #22 for Vic Country in 2024 - same as Onley in 2025

Hopefully makes the same impression in his first season at MFC

Watched his highlights....hmmm he's tall-ish...

Moves like a taller Angus Brayshaw. Hope he does really well.

I think we might get very lucky with Onley.

10 hours ago, RalphiusMaximus said:

Knowing nothing about him but the clips in this thread, I'm thinking we have a good one here.

Pros:

• Exceptionally clean hands grabbing the loose ball

• Good below his knees

• Seems to have good judgement with his kicking

• Great burst of speed

Cons:

• Dodgy kicking technique

• Poor handball

• I saw several kicks from the 50 arc drop short (see dodgy technique)

• Didn't see a lot of defensive work

So, he looks to have the vision, but needs to clean up disposal skills to make use of it, and maybe improve his defensive efforts.

We won a premiership with a half forward who struggled to kick beyond 40 metres. You need to know your capabilities and play within them.

Imho Onley will be among a group coming in that all have a footy i.q. But they're raw and at the start of their AFL careers. I find it no mere coincidence that we've a chap on board with extensive Gippsland knowledge and experience and we've a crop over recent times of some good Power talent.

I think we're building a better capacity and capability to develop such ilk.

Riley will benefit from entering into a system with elite mentoring. King is going to have an inherent knowledge of how to utilise tall mobile utilities. It's now up to the club to take these raw talented recruits and develop them into weapons. This refinement will take a little time. There will be good days and not so good days . Invariably it takes a varying time frame for players to settle, lose the awe of being there and get to tge work at hand.

A lot of "learnings" are going to be crammed into the coming months.

We ( well more than a handful here ) have lamented the dearth of 'intelligent" footy in Melbourne games over recent years.

I think Ron will come on well with suitable guidance.

DEES going to look very different in 26.

So will Casey... and some of these lads will play there initially. Riley like everyone else in Red and Blue has an opportunity to put his hand up..... granted when he does...its higher than most 😉 🤣

Good luck to all

4 minutes ago, beelzebub said:

Imho Onley will be among a group coming in that all have a footy i.q. But they're raw and at the start of their AFL careers. I find it no mere coincidence that we've a chap on board with extensive Gippsland knowledge and experience and we've a crop over recent times of some good Power talent.

I think we're building a better capacity and capability to develop such ilk.

Riley will benefit from entering into a system with elite mentoring. King is going to have an inherent knowledge of how to utilise tall mobile utilities. It's now up to the club to take these raw talented recruits and develop them into weapons. This refinement will take a little time. There will be good days and not so good days . Invariably it takes a varying time frame for players to settle, lose the awe of being there and get to tge work at hand.

A lot of "learnings" are going to be crammed into the coming months.

We ( well more than a handful here ) have lamented the dearth of 'intelligent" footy in Melbourne games over recent years.

I think Ron will come on well with suitable guidance.

DEES going to look very different in 26.

So will Casey... and some of these lads will play there initially. Riley like everyone else in Red and Blue has an opportunity to put his hand up..... granted when he does...its higher than most 😉 🤣

Good luck to all

I was hoping "learnings" would have left the MFC vernacular when Goodwin left.

6 minutes ago, La Dee-vina Comedia said:

I was hoping "learnings" would have left the MFC vernacular when Goodwin left.

As an 'excuse' for failing... I think it has.

As a tool for progression... about to be employed.

When people described things like his willingness to break through tackles and play on from a mark, I got nervous picturing a guy who was just bigger than everyone else and stomped through them, or who was so used to being able to get past the opponent on the mark that he automatically went for it.

So I'm pleased with the details where he clearly knows to turn his direction just a little and give his body a twist to shake tackles off, rather than just crash through them, and he also lands on his feet ready to move after he takes a mark, which gives him a one-step advantage if he decides to take on the marker.

My read is that his strengths come from things which are innate - instinctive play and simple physical advantages - while his weaknesses are trainable if he is willing to do the dreary grind to correct them - the ball drop and the handball power.

Could really be something if he chooses to.

I don't want to pot the guy as I have only seen his 3 mins of highlights but they dont appear to be as high as some of the other draftees.

Will be watching his developement keenly