Pates

I was the one that started this thread at he beginning of the season so I’m naturally curious about his development. I think we always knew he wasn’t going to be like Hogan making an immediate impact but there have been moments where he shows his potential. I actually didn’t realise he took 4 contested marks on the weekend, that’s a very good returnsnd he could’ve had more (there were a few he got a good piece of and just fumbled at the end). As a high draft pick people are always going to be impatient, but fact of the matter is that we’re in a luxurious position where we can allow him to naturally develop without pressure as opposed to how we’ve treated almost every other high draft pick in the past.

Actually quite entertaining reading some of the comments ?. I tried to find one that I made to see what I said, I’m pretty sure I was underwhelmed and annoyed we gave up a second round pick for him. Pretty good value looking at it now!

I remember we all raised our eyebrows when he was placed in the forward line, I was surprised and honestly didn’t think it was going to be successful. I don’t think it’s possible to be more wrong, he is our most important forward in that he rarely wastes it. I think there was one moment where he could’ve gone for goal himself but was on his wrong foot so he chose to centre it and the eagles rebounded. That was one of he few moments where I said, “c’mon Melks! Be selfish, finish the job yourself!” We’ve done some great trades in recent times, he’s up there with the best.

Not a great finisher.....

He did what was asked of him for the most part, still needs work on settling his nerves in front of goal. But attacked the contest well, clunked a couple and probably should've clunked a couple more. But there were good signs.

If he gets his shot, which I feel like he will, he should be instructed to run all day. He can't just be a roaming stay at home forward, he needs to be mobile and try to run his defender into the ground. Hard work and application has seemed to be his biggest fault in the past, we can't afford laziness at this time.

These last two rounds Hogan has to stand up and be counted, right now he's the epitome of a Melbourne player. A rock star vs lower teams, goes to water against the good teams.

I suspect it was something the airport/airline assisted in setting up. If I’m on that plan the last thing I want is a media scrum at the other end. This way the passengers get out at their destination without that madness.

From an article on the club’s website: “Bugg was sent away from the club for 10 days in the immediate aftermath of the incident with Mills, time he used to contact the young Swan to express his remorse for his actions and to reassess what he wanted to stand for as a footballer. Upon returning, Melbourne's fitness staff put the forward through a punishing regime while he was ineligible to play between rounds 16 to 21. Training would finish and the rest of the players would be laughing and carrying on, relaxing on the sidelines. And there would be Bugg, often the only one out on Gosch's Paddock, as the coaching and equipment staff were packing up, looking down at his watch to make sure he was meeting the times that had been set for him during gut-busting running sessions. To his credit, Bugg didn't complain. He didn't drop his bottom lip, didn't blame anyone else other than himself. Bugg just got on with it and, after playing the final two games of the season back in the VFL once his ban had finished, set himself to have "the best pre-season of his career". The 24-year-old beat out usual time trial king Tom McDonald in the club's 2km time trial post-Christmas, and he was often regarded as a standout – based on his work ethic on the training track – over summer.” http://m.melbournefc.com.au/news/2018-04-05/bugg-resets-to-earn-trust-and-respect

Agreed, I thought the way Goodwin played the Bugg incident was spot on but Simpson on the other hand is seemingly trying to excuse and praise him. Its like the way people carried on after Houli’s hit last year. The character of the man doesn’t change the act, it should be condemned and Simpson putting him in his votes is a slap in the face of Freo and Brayshaw.

If that happened (has it ever happened in any professional sport?) the AFL tribunal wouldn’t play any part. But most (if not all) one punch hits that cause death are as much to do with the person landing on concrete as it is the hit itself. Brayshaw wasn’t knocked out, he got hit on a soft part of the face. Half an inch lower and it’s quite possible he’d be playing this week. Again not defending Gaff but there’s always luck involved when it comes to any injury.

So I feel like they shouldn’t put weeks on it, I think they should simply say he won’t play again this year. Brayshaw’s season is done, Gaff shouldn’t have a chance to play in a grand final. If they do want to put a figure of weeks make it 7, and it potentially runs him out for games next year. But should he play again this year he will be given a lot of heat. Ironically probably the same sort of heat they gave Adam Goodes (still can’t work out why that went so far). I’m not defending Gaff but I’m sure doctors and Ambo’s could say severity punches can depend so much on where the person is hit. I very much doubt Gaff picked a spot on his face thinking “this is going to cause maximum damage” I see it more as a wild swing not really aiming at anything. Bugg’s hit could’ve been just as bad last year but Mills only (I say only in comparative recovery terms) ended up with concussion. For that reason the teeth and jaw being so badly damaged shouldn’t weigh as much into it as I think people think. It’s as bad as Bugg’s hit, Brayshaw’s gone for the year, given the timing of it so should Gaff.

Also how would Gus feel about playing side by side with the bloke who broke his little brothers jaws and flattened a bunch of his front teeth? I have a feeling each of the Brayshaws will have him in their sights next time they see him. They seems quite a tight bunch of brothers. I’m predicting 6 weeks. He was looking directly at him, it’s not an accident and young Brayshaw is gone for the year and in the hospital. I feel for Mrs Brayshaw, she’s just dealt with Gus’s concussion issues and now she sees this. Plus she’s got another son in the army!

Oops so he was! Point is I always heard when his contract was coming up that he would leave Perth but it never happened.

Normally this is true and he's got a very accurate long kick, but boy there were some shanks on the weekend. Don't get me wrong he was fantastic for us, and he was a key part of our third term destruction of the dogs, but that one that came off the side of the boot and went out would've made Simon Godfrey himself blush! Loving seeing Gus play great footy, gives me a warm fuzzy feeling every time I see him singing the song. He's done it the hard way, and boy he deserves it.

Jeez the wording in the title was really similar to the Jack Viney thread, I was worried he'd turned up on Monday complaining of a sore shoulder and being put into surgery or something! In terms of him leaving us to go back to Perth I wouldn't put any credibility on Harvey's word, he's not a former player turned reporter with his "ear to the ground" he's just giving his opinion which is based off other opinions. All reports say he's very happy in Melbourne and honestly if he didn't go back to Perth after everything that happened last year I feel like he'll be less inclined as the years go on. He also looks like he's enjoying his footy at the moment (why wouldn't you when you're hird on the Coleman medal), which to me seems a bit different from his last couple of years. Last year his head was obviously not in it, understandably so. Remember everyone said it was a foregone conclusion that Pavlich would return to Melbourne.

I mostly agree with with, but he took his eyes off the ball and looked at his opponent for a moment. The players know that if they do that they run the risk of giving away a free kick. He needed to disguise it more.

I definitely feel like he should be dropped, that passage play where he gave away the 50m penalty is not good enough from a leader and it's massive momentum killer. I think should we still make the finals like we all hope he will be a very important player for us, but for there here and now that kind of behaviour must be addressed as simply unacceptable. I would also add that if it was a one time affair then I'd let it slide but in the two years he's been a Demon he's done it more times than I can think of than any other player and it has cost us at times.

You'd struggle to find a better first 50 games from any player to pull on the red and blue let alone the competition. The kid will be a genuine superstar.

Unbelievably I agree, Petracca still flashes in and out of games whereas Gus played 4 quarters yesterday. Petracca has more upside and if he can pull everything together could become one of the premier players in the comp but right now it’s not happening. Gus is playing where he always needed to play, in the guys getting the ball tapped down his throat. Half back/forward was never going to work.

Back to what we know he could do. He needed confidence in himself and these games will do him (and us) a world of good.

Oscar has been flying under the AFLnradar this year but for the most part he’s been very good. He looks more confident in his ability to take marks (similar to how big bro developed) and more incredibly his field kick is much better. I still have kittens when he looks around for kicks but he’s more poised now and is making better decisions. If our defenders start to improve their communication with one another we will look much more solid down there.

Not in my list of people to be dropped, thought he was ok without being amazing. He’s got skills in him and did some good things.

He was very far from our worst, when he got the ball he did some good things. ANB and a few others in front to be dropped IMO.

It's difficult for the club, they don't want to undervalue the seats by making them too cheap but at the same time I think it's important to have sections on the bottom southern stand filled. A $5-10 members only additional match day fee (purchased at the membership tent) to allow access to that section (but not a reserved seat) would be perhaps a good way to go. You don't get a guaranteed seat as those who have paid for the specific seat get priority but people can find somewhere to sit and fill the area up. Just my thoughts at least.