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Viney in full training. Looked a million bucks! Barely a rehab group - Jones, Jetta, Tyson and Balic on light duties. All moved well. VDB only notable absentee.

I've loved Salem since his debut and reckon with a decent uninterrupted run at it he will prove to be one of our most valuable players. He is class with a touch of mongrel.

I'm curious. Why do you say "he needs to get his head right"? I've always thought his problems were with his body.

People need to relax. Salem will be an absolute class player. Not only has he had constantly interrupted pre-seasons, but has also struggled with injuries and thyroid issues during the home and away season. Additionally, he has been played in multiple positions which has never allowed Christian to find his feet and work with that one main training group and on his craft (see Pederson) Wait until he strings games together, and gets continuity under his belt and playing in a position week in week out.

Bloody hell mate... Harsh as - thyroid issues has had a significant influence on his trajectory.

Looking forward to big things from Salem this year. He has threatened for the past few years to have his "breakout" season but obviously injuries, illness and suspensions have hampered him. Apparently came back to preseason training already in great nick. I just loved this from the linked article below. According to Champion Data, Salem attended the second-most centre bounces (21) of any Melbourne player against North Melbourne in Saturday's JLT Community Series hit-out in Tasmania, just one less than clearance specialist Clayton Oliver. Salem gathered 19 disposals at 84.2 per cent efficiency, winning five clearances and contributing two goal assists in a standout performance. http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-02-27/bulkedup-dee-set-to-make-his-midfield-mark

As in he needs bricks to stop hitting it?

Interesting, that he will be played as an inside mid as he was often touted as the outside, classy distributor. With his 21 centre bounce attendances, 5 clearances and 82.4% disposal efficiency, he will add class to the work engine and Max will love having his silkiness at his feet. It is a great move by the club to put him in there as Jones, Viney, Tyson are all bulls who can get the ball but often turn it over - either caught HTB or miss targets. Salem is not an eye-catching, 'flashy' player - he is the quiet achiever who many won't notice. He can do eye-catching things - his match winning, after the goal siren vs Ess in one of his first ever games. Cool as a cucumber. I forsee a very high performing consistent year from him and he is my smokey to rise up the B&F ranks this year. Salem lining up with Oliver will give other teams a lot of headaches in the middle! I'm rapt with this move!

Salem will turn a few heads this year. He's hard at it but he's such a smooth mover with elite kicking skills/vision. Roos rated him highly. While he didn't expressly say it, I always thought Roos: - rated Salem slightly higher than Josh Kelly; - would've used pick 2 in that draft on Billings or Bontempelli; and - rated Salem better than pick 9 in that draft.

Yes but 'needs to get the hormonal glands in his neck right' just doesn't sound very decisive!

The hell dude, why tag me in something to give me a back handed slap?

A bit of clarity as to why we no longer have AHG as a sponsor: http://www.afr.com/business/transport/automobile/asic-crackdown-gives-ahg-a-23m-headache-20180222-h0witm

So excited if this kid gets going. Beautiful user by foot, and is able to kick accurately off one or no steps in congestion, which is a skill not possessed by many in our team. Training with the midfield group will have done him wonders, even if he does move to half back/forward the upgrade to his tank will pay dividends.

Sure, but compare with the "second stringers" of just a few short years back .. M Jones, Blease, Tapscott, Petterd, etc. World of difference. (Some of them were "first stringers"!) If these guys (ANB, Harmes, etc) are are our second rank then we're doing alright in team development.

What a fantastic passage of play bringing that up from deep defence. The much maligned Jodie McKenzie was a key link man and looked almost Oliver like (in appearance, and vision) with that chain of hand passes. And listening to that moron Derrwaynn only emphasizes what a <person who tosses something > he is “...and he’s only got Dawes, he’s only got Dawes ....” and Cross passed to Salem .

It may have been mentioned before on the thread (and certainly I am repeating myself to myself) - I genuinely think he is as talented and will be as durable as Shaun Burgoyne.

Talking about "doing a Richmond" - this article penned on the Roar last week is definitely worth a read. http://www.theroar.com.au/2018/02/20/one-opposition-team-can-dream-copying-richmond/ I like the cut of his jib. I especially liked his commentary on Tom Bugg.

Salem will get 17-25 possessions as a mid and waste pretty much zero of them.

That was my feeling too. He's a silky smooth player who just never got a good/long enough run at it without a string of injuries & the thyroid problem. I think the midfield role will suit him better than playing off the halfback.

Last year we lost both our captains, our AA and backup ruckman (at one stage Jack Watts was our ruckman) main KPF, Brayshaw, Kent, and Salem didn’t progress as expected with their injury issues, plus the suspensions we had, never mind the winnable games we threw away. Despite this we were 0.5% off a finals berth. All things being equal if we can get even one more game out of Hogan next year we make the 8 and when that happens all bets are off. It’s time to believe.

Think people need to calm down on his kicking and decision making. He'll have plenty of down games there. Not much of a left side, not a super long kick, doesn't snap the ball well and can sometimes miss a target over their head. Even last year I'd tear my hair out watching Nibbler miss a kick or take a silly option. He was always bobbing up getting the ball in good spots though, so if he keeps that up he can iron out the decision making. He's not afraid to win contested footy and he's great at running in to space and keeping the ball moving. Solid enough in the air and solid enough as a tackler - has really improved in those areas. Combined with elite endurance that's why he makes a lot of sense as a high half forward. He makes defenders accountable and creates space for the goal kickers, that's an impressive team attribute. In terms of comparison he's similar to Kane Lambert who was great for the Tigers, and a little bit like a poor mans Toby Greene who's stronger one on one and more dangerous near goals but otherwise finds the ball across half forward. If there's a player I'd be giving ANB tapes to watch or having him sit down for a chat with (given our connections) it would be Paul Chapman. He's about as good a half forward as there's been this century. Never missed a snap, a brilliant kick inside 50 and racked up the ball moving in around the midfield and also leading or crumbing as a forward.

Im going to get this story wrong but I’m relatively sure the broad outlines are correct. The softest tribunal decision ever was when Colin Sylvia got suspended for something along the lines of ‘rough conduct’ when he didn’t actually physically come in contact with the opposition player. I believe the tribunal said he had ‘intent’. Some weeks later Sylvia had his jaw broken and the other bloke got off!!

His rate of improvement is phenomenal. The other player that has looked twice the player is Harmes. He could be a revelation as a rotating mid. Plus, of course, Melksham, who really is a class footballer and a difficult matchup. In fact, many players are elevating their game.

....and the other commentator rattling on about how "its too late" for the Melb players to go back in the last 19 secs. Only to see Salem comfortably cover Hurley at that centre bounce. But I did love their excitement....one of the most rewatched 4 mins in my supporting lifetime. Still get a kick out of it. We had such a frikn awful side....and couldnt buy a goal that year. Suddenly we pulled out what was probably the best passage of play for us all taht year AND in the final minute. Against .......the druggies. Soooo satisfying.

Great job again guys and thanks for the insight @Drunkn167. Much appreciated.

We'll be LIVE in 2 hours @ 8:30pm with special guest host @Drunkn167 Listen and Chat: http://demonland.com/podcast Call: 03 9016 3666 Skype: Demonland31

Sigh. A week of talking him up and now he is broken. Us MFC supporters have a preternatural ability like that. (JACK WATTS!!!! YOU ARE AWESOME!!! WE MISS YOU!!!) Am I doing it right?

suppose we should change thread heading to "millionaire ex bear"

By having him train indoors

I always thought he had the capacity to be the second best mid taken in that draft class, just behind Kelly Had no idea Bont would become a mid or Cripps would go to his Oliver-like level Still think Salem can be right up there with those mentioned Such a smooth mover

I read Joel McDonald’s player profile one year in a footy record where he said his idol was Jordan Belfort.

Yes, a thyroid issue and a couple of blown hammies are hardly issues related to a player's headspace. In this instance I'd have to say that I don't think it's Salem that needs to get his head right.

Just needs to get into a rhythm and he will be away. Where's that lid?

Wasn't injury, wasn't luck. In spite of all those setbacks we were already in the 8. Our destiny was in our own hands and we let it slip through to the floor, tripped over it, and broke our necks on it.

Might need to start a Billy Stretch thread as well, I’m getting confused as to who we’re talking about. I need a coffee.

Nibs is a guy who can still develop his game. His footy smarts should only increase with experience, and that could lead to him being a very tough matchup for opposing defenders. He doesn't waste it much, and has a good goal sense and is fantastic at finding higher conversion opportunities for the team. As for the Billy talk, I have not given up on him yet. I'm just unsure of why he isn't progressing.

Thought it might be time for a World Cup logistics update for those who are interested. I planned to drop into Moscow for three nights before heading onto my base in Kazan. Booked a hotel through Agoda in the normal way with attendance guaranteed by credit card and then started hearing all these horror stories about hotels in Moscow cancelling bookings for the WC. Emailed the hotel twice but no reply. Did a dummy booking at the hotel and was told 4 nights minimum stay (I had booked for 3 nights) and the rate had increased.I got in touch with Agoda and they had their Russian speaking consultant phone the hotel and supposedly my booking is good. Who knows... so if you guys know of a couch that I can share in Moscow it could be good back up. Now onto Kazan where I have booked an Air bnb. Have used airbnb all around the world for the last few years and they are great. The big plus is the payment system. Airbnb act as the broker and no probs with false sites etc and payment is so simple. Russia however has a twist for foreign visitors. Usually if you are in any city for more than 7 days you need to formally register your presence with the authorities. For the WC the requirement to register has been reduced to 24 hours if you are in a WC host city. Registration requires a personal visit by you and the host to the authorities. Nobody knows how this mass registration is going to work in practice. My Kazan airbnb host with whom I communicate by means of google translate has no idea either. Such joys ... but all part of the adventure.... PS Is Timmy ever going to get onto the park with Milwall??

That was done to Beamer against Geelong

This has been an issue for the past 2-3 years. Unless we grow up as a team and consistently win the games we should, we'll never be more than a run-with as we were during the Daniher years. Opposition fans didn't respect us from 2004-2006 because we were pushovers and often lost to the likes of Carlton and dropped games against interstate clubs at the MCG when they couldn't otherwise win there. We'd go on losing streaks and eventually find a way to play finals. A bit like North of the past couple of years before 2017, although the irony is they always beat us, a team they should have and did always beat comfortably. I don't trust this team yet.

We do have some versatility but I don't actually mind the idea of keeping a back 7 largely together, keeping a forward group with maybe 4 or so permanent forwards and then just mixing some mids and forwards for different stages. Goody did a nice job of settling guys last year. Some versatility but not needless chopping and changing.

I took my Geelong supporting nephews to the AFLX tournament and they were the most excited to see Gawny amongst the crowd. I can't remember a Melbourne player in recent times that has had that affect on opposition fans.

if that little fairy tap was worth $2500 reduced to $1500 What should Dusty get with all his don't argues?

Thing about ANB is he doesn't have anything stamped on him to say what kind of player he is. No neon light like there is on Trac, "beast with X factor", or Oliver "extractor par excellence", or Hunt "dasher". He looks pretty nondescript as a player. But there he is ... just getting in the right spot again and again, doing handy things and kicking goals. He just keeps doing it. West Coast had an entire team of ANBs in the 90's. (and one Jakovich) You think "what is his best position?" Doesn't really matter ... the kid can play football. Just get him out on the park. Compare with "athlete" types like Majak Daw or Mason Cox who do the occasional good thing but mostly just look lost.

I think the 3 you've mentioned here are huge surprises (to me, anyway). They're more than just 'role-players'; their footy smarts and unique skill-sets are very damaging. ANB's vision and awareness, Melksham's zone breaking left-hoof and Harmes' attack on the ball and man, open up many options in and leading into attack. You need this kind of left-field improvement to be a successful side. I thought, with a bit of luck, ANB could develop into a handy inside mid. He is now a genuinely dangerous half-forward who reads the play, find space and creates for those around him. Full credit to him and the coaching staff!

Not yet but they’re accepting cheque’s now.

I have us down for the next 3 flags. Relax, we've got this

Is there a suggestion that Tom McDonald ‘blackmailed’ the club into offering Oscar a new contract? Did Tom also blackmail the club into giving Oscar senior games?

It amazes me how much of an accurate kick for goal he is considering how he kicks out of defence. complete opposite which is great.

Yep, feisty but fairy 'Nuff. He responds (after displaying excellent tolerance on multiple occasions) to those physical contacts such as knees in the jewels, knees and elbows at his head once he is brought to the ground in a tackle or impasse, and backhanders or elbows to the face as he is winning the ball. We have all seen these occurrences. In reality, he just picks up those things that the umpires '...fail to see, notice or penalise...' as the written rules state that they should. This umpire behaviour is endemic and is an act of convenience operating against 'lesser' teams for the sake of others' recoveries of their game.