tappysquads

I was just asking the question, sometimes physical appearance can contribute to how players are perceived as leaders by their teammates and the opposition.

Or just how there perceived by outside sources with no relationship with the playing group

Missing Mitch for the start of 2013 is not the end of the world as we have some new players to test and kids to expose to afl, but a few things that hurt us without Mitch

He is going to be a big part in changing our habits to winnings ways

He is still a younger player himself, and every minute he misses is a minute of development he misses

Mitch will make Dawes and pedo and even howe better! He's aggressive, and takes the number 1 defender away from a bloke like Dawes who needs the confidence

And for once I would like to start a season well, maybe crush port round 1

I know if we wanna be any good we can't depend on one player, and we must take it easy with Mitch, but gee he makes our side look so much better!

Anyone have any info on intra club, praccy games before the nab cup? I wanna see them play and see if all the training can be transferred into match day or am I gonna be feelin the same come round 8 this year.

David Rodan > Cale Morton

Rodan > the guy who paints the lines > John Howard > Cale

Morton

Without defending or criticizing Liam, he was a Player whose ability and recklessness on the field was admired by most.

We wear the clothes we do, talk the way we do, eat what we eat and have the beliefs we do because of the direct environment we were exposed to during our development.

Right or wrong, Liam was influenced his entire youth by a very differant set of beliefs, morals and laws of life to what a lot of people are.

I see it this way.....

While on the field for the demons, Liam gave his all for the club. Wasn't the hardest player, but was passionate and put his neck on the line every time he launched himself at one of those marks. He did things that 99.95% of players in history could not do (that goal over his head from 45m was physically impossible).Outside of football, he lived in a world completely differant to ours. Differant laws, responsibilities and commitments.

Now he is a young man, who has made some horrible decisions (drink driving) and some decisions we will never understand. Really hope he can turn his life around, but like so many others in his environment, there either isn't the assistance or guidance to flourish, or the pressures all around him may be too persuasive. All the best Lj, thanks for the memories.

Wouldn't Pedersen have dibs on 3rd tall? And I rate Cam as highly as Clark and Dawes, not as many games on the board (or media attention) but has proven himself in the ones he's played.

I agree with you in wanting to see Fitzpatrick get more opportunities, 3 goals from 3 games is a nice start.

I agree, I rate pederson as our best signing. I loved the jizz but to swap him for pedo, I'll take it.

- Mitch Clark to get back without complications(that injury can finish players)

- Dom Barry to be hard enough to be a superstar(the only issue i see with him)

- Wattsy to become an elite versatile player (not as far off as people think)

- for a couple of the fringe players to step up and be counted (jetta, tap, Dunn, davey, TRENNERS)

As much as "standing out" at a half baked training session in the first week of January in a team that finished a distant 16th last year is a major achievement, I think I will hold off recanting my previous criticism until Aaron bothers putting in on match day.

Of course, most senior MFC players in the past decade have managed to extract the digit in the last year of a contract, so why would Aaron be any different. Perhaps if his contract has been sufficiently front loaded the weight of his wallet will stop weighing him down and he can recapture some of his old speed and skills.

Well if that's the case guess we can't say anything positive about a single player over the pre season until we win a flag because he has been one of our better trainers in the sessions I've been too. So everyone else on our list must be horrible. In fact we may as well delete this site.

Just checking in with all the critics, were 4 weeks out from nab cup and every report I have seen is boasting positive signs for Aaron. Looking fitter, skills sharp, running improving. A few said he wouldn't make it through pre season without retiring. I watched him in competitive drills last week and he was a stand out. Clean, agile and strong in the contest. Fingers crossed he gets a kick on game day.

If we end up relying on spencer as our number one this year we will be in for a massive struggle. From what I've seen at half a dozen training sessions Rodan is well and truly starting 18. Been outstanding at every session. Personally I also start pederson and Dawes at even expectancies. Really rate everything I've seen from pedo and equally don't rate much I've seen from Dawes in 2 years. Nicholson cannot kick so Terlich goes in purely on the tiny amount of seen of him so far.

Back: Strauss Frawley Terlich

HB: garland Macdonald watts

C: Sylvia Rodan grimes

HF: pederson Clark Howe

F: Byrnes Dawes davey

R: jamar viney jones

Int: trengove toumpas mckenzie

Sub: blease

Next in line: Nicholson, tapscott, Barry, gillies, dunn

Just can't make room for sellar, maybe garlands spot. Barry could be anything an by round 1 may be starting 18. Howe is still the player I'm most excited about. Will be a superstar. This is his year.

Myself I don't expect to see Dom barry much if at all this year as we try to instill a new hard edged way of play culture into the Demons jumper.

If I was planning our future trajectory, I'd be showing our more senior players how we want the Demon way of play to move into, with a mixture of mature recruits showing they're games, & adopting Neelds tactics.

I would think I'd hold Barry back to emerge next year along with Hogan. In an already shaped hard to play against culture.

I'd make it harder for the kids to break into the team earning they're stripes thru guts & bloody hard work.

Since when did you have to be big to be hard at the footy and man? If the boy has the right mental approach to contests, and also provides outside run and carry then why shouldn't he play? Cause of a number on a scale?

To state the obvious, our good players are good players. I believe the key to getting Melbourne out of the cellar this year is a big increase in output from out bottom 5-6 players (fringe players) selected each week.

Obviously our mature recruiting will help with depth, but I was wondering what improvements are you looking for from specific fringe players, and have we seen any steps forward over the last 12 months under the new system.

My examples, just my opinion

Joel mc's disposal

Mixed reports but when I've been down no improvement.

Aaron Daveys spark

Everything I've heard or seen this pre season is positive

James sellar in general

Looks fit, skills ok, a lot better than last pre season

Cale Morton's delisting

Massive improvement by cale

Nev Jetta stepping up from vfl standard

Fitness looks to have improved, skills always sharp, yet to see if he has developed a harder edge

I'm not fussed what song they run onto the ground listening too, but there's only one song I wanna hear as they walk off! Haven't heard much of it recently.

ACL injurys are almost impossible to prevent, can strengthen the surrounding muscles, but when it wants to go its gunna go! The latest hamstring injury is almost a given for ACL recoveries too!

Hopefully he has put enough work into the rest of his body, and can now work on his legs, can could be a contender for the 22 mid season!

While no David Schwartz like tragedy yet, as a fellow ACL'er, I hate seeing young guys do their knees, as it can be so hard to come back from! He is a cult figure, and will get a huge response from the fans, and the players a boost too, upon his return! Good luck maxy

I did my first knee at 26, then the same knee training at around the 13 month mark. As stated hamstrings are unavoidable. Some recos just do not recover 100% and hence re-occur. But my second one worked great, got through a full season and won a flag. As u said ACLs just go no matter what condition your body is in. So I wouldnt hold long term fears for gawny, he may recover 100% and never miss another game. He's young, in a professional environment so getting the best advice, and ruckman generally take longer to peak. I think all the rule changes are going in his favour so may well turn out to be a dominant force. Fingers crossed for max cause we could use a giant beast!

It would be nice if he did as so far he has under-performed as a former No. 8 draft pick, 5 years into the system. Neeld gave him 16 matches last year (to add to his previous 21); and he was less effective for us than Rivers, McDonald etc whereas he should have been a super star as a top ten draft pick with 5 years senior experience. Obviously Craig and Viney had faith in him otherwise we would not have drafted him and I will be pleasantly surpirsed if they are on the money as BBP is so confident. At present I cannot see Sellar (no 's') displacing McDonald.

I'm getting tired of people referring to players draft number as to what to expect from the player. It's completely irrelevant once the player becomes a Melbourne demon. If you want to look at it that way, he was a Number 54 draft pick, who we got 16 games out of in his first season at the club.big win! It just doesn't work, every player should start on an even playing field, especially if ur supposed to be a supporter of the club.

Not a big deal, you get kicked out of the cricket for sneezing in the wrong direction now days. The boys have worked there ass off, no follow up stories of continuing on for a late night bender, move on, nothing to see here!

I popped down for a while, few things I noticed....

As stated, clarky was running well, and still looks a massive unit.

Gillies looks a lot thinner already. Could be a steal.

Nicho and tmac push each other real hard in the running. Nicho was sick and coughing his guts up but pushed through.

Barry was lucky it wasn't windy, would of blown away. But his skills where very sharp. Got told of for pulling up short in a 200. Great to see nothing gets missed with so many coaches on the ground. Raising the bar.

Despite all our recruits,I am most excited about Howe this year. Was burning jones in the running, is a standout in most drills, such a smooth mover. I really believe he could be anything.

When viney and tappy where running together, viney surprisingly still looked rather solid. Both large units. Bit of grunt.

Every run of the 200, the boys where giving there times to be recorded, impressive and shows how structured and detailed our pre seasons have become.

Dawesy was taking it very easy. I would like a massive pre season from him after disappointing year last year.

Watts was in the fourth pair of running with mckenzie. Worked hard and as others have said, is a great trainer. Never misses a target in the drills.

I assumed the tall kid in the hat doing handball drills was the kid who didn't get drafted. If so he is a rather large unit, with very very clean hands in marking and handball drills. But then during the 200s he began barking orders at players such as chip which made me think it might not have been him, unless he is one very confident kid. Whoever it was they looked real good.

Was disappointed to see Sylvia train the way he did. Takes it half assed and never looks serious.

Rodans skills and delivery to forwards again was sublime. Big fan.

Pedo started as a defender on the leading forwards in one drill.

Re Spencer, it was already mentioned in the article on the Club website when Spencer signed his new contract that he was seen as part of the succession plan for Jamar and he will be 25 or 26 when Jamar reaches the end........or sooner.

The fact that we now have a monster player who seems to be continually improving and developing will also ensure that Jamar plays at his abosolute best each week coz if he doesn't I am sure Neeld would have no hesitation in swapping him for Spencer

I think Spencer's biggest upside at the moment is how determined he is too improve. When you see him train, anything from marking practice to tap work to kicking on the run, he gets dirty on himself when he makes mistakes. He has come along way in the last 12 months. It's just unfortunate he hasn't had gawny there to push each other.

I'd be hoping for something similar to a Mumford in the end, but his work rate means he will give himself every chance of getting there.

Needs to retire should have never got a large 3 year contract has been lazy ever since

How insightful. You completely acknowledged the facts I started this thread with and responded intelligently and open minded. Or you repeated exactly what 1000 other people have said.

Someone has to defend him as the vultures are circling!

Going on everybody's assumption that in season 2012 his body was shot and he is finished so you would assume this is as bad as it gets for Aaron Davey.

Some stats I found: In 2012 Aaron Davey averaged 4.6 tackles per game (his highest ever), 3rd most at the club, a figure that would of had him 5th highest at the premiers Sydney (as well as quite a bit of bench time).

The flavour of the month, Lewis Jetta, averaged 2.8.

Apparently, he used to be a good player, so the fact his average of 0.9 goals per game is his best since 2007, aswell as the 4th highest in 2012 at the club, must mean there is some life left in him.

So we have a small forward, in a team that got pumped, dealing with a stress fracture in the foot, injured knee and coming off a stressful preseason in which the coach admitted they rushed him back too early, getting little game time to settle in, and managed to be a leader at the club in tackles and goals.

He will continue to be an elite kick, good leader and offer guidance to our youth,apply defensive pressure and kick goals. And all this while injured last year.

I'm sure this will get smashed but just hoping he can prove everyone wrong.

Has anyone seen Barry train yet? How does he look skill wise and work rate?

I would love a bit of flair to support our new harder edge.

the full trade is...

Scully for Hogan, Dawes and Barry

The full trade is scully for hogan, Dawes, Barry and Melbourne not having a soft little rat at the club getting payed $500k a year! If we had of given him huge money to stay it would of sent a terrible message to our kids who want to be there!

Often not on the same page as BB but it seems like Davey is done, so sad about it wanted him to go out doing miracles but it seems not be. Will always remember him as super brave. I hope others do too, the way he tackled CHFs was a revelation and he invented fwd pressure. He was the must stop guy for a while, that's a fair thing to have achieved.

Hasn't even been a ball bounced this year, prob bit early to be writing him off. How about a bit of positivity... Yeh I've been to training and seen him struggling, but here's hoping a more successfull year for the dees, and therefore more opportunities up forward will allow what's physically left of Davey to reinvent himself.

Until this season, the Harold ball memorial trophy was awarded to the best Young player, who must have started the year with less than 33 games. If we take out the age restriction who would you tip for best first year player in 2013?

Pederson and gillies have already won best first year players at there previous clubs, toumpas should step straight in, viney would probably be favorite. I'd take value for money at long odds on kent!

When u see him out on the track u see how much the others get around him and the enthusiasm goes up. Hopefully he can get his rig in good enough nick to play a part in the squad this year and help develop our younger players. We've had to many negative experiences with our ageing players in the last few years, would be good to have someone as popular as davey make a smooth respectful exit.