A Preseason Preview 2006- Part 10 of 16 - Melbourne

[pahoffm]

Melbourne
One gets the Dorian Gray impression at the Dees. Trying to look young, whilst growing old is a challenge for any club. For Melbourne, it has coasted the last few years as a young developing side, but in 2005 the wrinkles were definitely showing. As far as the coaching staff is concerned, no change with Daniher, Riley, Curran & Rock all still there.

David Neitz 191 103 31 vet
Clint Bizzell 188 89 30
James McDonald 180 74 30
Ben Holland 198 100 29
Jeff White 195 95 29
Nathan Brown 180 76 29
Alistair Nicholson 197 100 28
Adem Yze 187 87 28
Daniel Ward 185 84 28
Byron Pickett 178 86 28 new
Russell Robertson 187 93 27
Nathan Carroll 191 91 26
Cameron Bruce 190 88 26
Phillip Read 180 83 26
Matthew Whelan 180 84 26
Paul Wheatley 189 90 25
Simon Godfrey 184 86 25
Brad Green 184 85 25
Travis Johnstone 183 83 25
Shannon Motlop 182 88 25
Ryan Ferguson 195 91 24
Brad Miller 194 96 23
Aaron Davey 177 72 23
Paul Johnson 199 105 22
Mark Jamar 198 103 22
Matthew Warnock 192 92 22 rookie
Brent Moloney 181 88 22
Nicholas Smith 198 97 21
Jared Rivers 192 92 21
Daniel Bell 186 88 21
Chris Johnson 189 86 20
Colin Sylvia 186 87 20
Brock McLean 184 86 20
Shane Neaves 199 90 19 rookie
Michael Newton 193 90 19
Lynden Dunn 192 93 19
Matt Bate 191 89 19
Simon Buckley 189 81 19 new
Daniel Hughes 186 82 19 rookie
Heath Neville 186 83 18 new
Jace Bode 183 80 18 rookie
Andre Gianfagna 182 80 18 rookie
Clint Bartram 181 73 18 new
Nathan Jones 179 85 18 new

44 on the list, including 1 vet, 5 newies and 5 rookies. The Dees, on the back of their recent profits, can afford a full 44 players.
17 of their 44 (39%) are 190cm or taller, though none are over 200cm tall.
20 of their 44 (45%) are 25yo or more. 10 of 44 (23%) are in the twilight zone.
This tells me that Melbourne are pobably in a state of transition. Their oldies are past the window, but their juniors are just yet to come up.
Let's have a look at the spread of their players.

Twilight = 28+yo
Prime = 25-27yo
Development = 22-24yo
Junior = 18-21yo

<180 Small Runners
Twilight: Pickett 28
Prime: 0
Development: Davey 23
Junior: Jones 18

180-184 Smaller Mediums
Twilight: McDonald 30, Brown 29
Prime: Read 26, Whelan 26, Godfrey 25, Green 25, Johnstone 25, Motlop 25
Development: Moloney 22
Junior: McLean 20, Bode 18, Gianfagna 18, Bartram 18

185-189 Taller Mediums
Twilight: Bizzell 30, Yze 28, Ward 28
Prime: Robertson 27, Wheatley 25
Development: 0
Junior: Bell 21, C.Johnson 20, Sylvia 20, Buckley 19, Hughes 19, Neville 18

190-194 Mobile Key Position
Twilight: Neitz 31
Prime: Carroll 26, Bruce 26
Development: Miller 23, Warnock 22
Junior: Rivers 21, Newton 19, Dunn 19, Bate 19

195-199 Key Position/ Ruck
Twilight: White 29, Holland 29, Nicholson 28
Prime: Ferguson 24
Development: P.Johnson 22, Jamar 22
Junior: Smith 21, Neaves 19

200+ Ruck
Twilight: 0
Prime: 0
Development: 0
Junior: 0

So with Melbourne it becomes evident that there are 10 players, all twilight players, that Melbourne relies heavily on.
This would indicate that the window has gone well past 12, as it waits for its junior players to come on.
We see age deficiencies in its key runners, and height deficiencies in its ruckmen.

Their coverage of positions is as follows:
B: Ward 28 Nicholson 28 Bizzell 30
Whelan 26 Ferguson 24 Carroll 26
                                 Warnock 22


HB: Bell 21 Rivers 21 Brown 29
Johnson 20 Smith 21 Godfrey 25
Neville 18


C: Johnstone 25 Moloney 22 Yze 28
Hughes 19 Sylvia 20 Buckley 19
Bode 18 Bartram 18 Gianfagna 18


HF: Robertson 27 Miller 23 Bruce 26
Motlop 25 Dunn 19 Wheatley 25
Bate 19

F: Green 25 Neitz 31 Davey 23
                 Holland 29
                Johnson 22
                Newton 19

R: White 29 Pickett 28 McDonald 30
Jamar 22 McLean 20 Read 26
Neaves 19                      Jones 18

So you can see that Melbourne is in a state of transition, moving major responsibilities over from tried and tired players, over to younger and fresher ones.
Yes, Melbourne have had there injuries, mostly in those players that have been doing their hard running for over 5 years.
Enormous pressure was placed on McLean & Sylvia last year. McLean did ok, Sylvia struggled. The onus will be on the coaching staff to share the running load amongst a greater number of Melbourne players.
For 2006, I see Melbourne doing better as more developing players are given responsibility.

 

[mk33]

Half way through last year I find Melbourne top 4, maybe two and went to the match against the Eagles as a grand final preview. Alas after that the wheels fell off. I based Melbourne as a good side for its talls especially around forward line and goalkicking midfielders/smalls. The Dees still have these players though.

On paper the forward line look all right, however Neitz only kicked 31 goals and is on the decline, Miller is a good CHF outside 50 but does not kick goals and Holland is past it as well. Robertson is a talent and deserved All Aussie honours. Matthew Bate play step us a forward this year. None of the ruckman can really play as a fwd.
The small forward options are plenty its about finding the right fix to move into the midfield as none of them have really had any success further up the ground except for Bruce. Yze could go back to backline and pinch hit. Pickett/Green/Motlop are really small fwds only. Maybe Davey and Sylvia could play further up ground.

The midfield needs more help from his goalkicking small fwds, Mclean had a good year and is the engine room of the midfield with Moloney. Bruce will play as on baller and e
expect Nathan Jones to help, after that maybe Wheatley to come into the mix so more is needed from Davey, Green and Sylvia. McDonald will be used as tagging role

Jamar and Johnson need to come more flexible in playing in other positions for Melbourne to play a second ruck to White.

I would think Fergusson, Rivers and Carroll to play as tall defenders this year with Bizzell and Nicholson as back ups. The only run from defence seems to be Wheatley, Brown and Whelan so Melbourne be hoping a couple of players come through.

Capable of top 4 but if go on form from half way mark will miss 8 which will have dire consequences for the club and several players.

Players to watch
Nathan Carroll to be mainstay key defender, looks like a mongrel
Brad Miller as per above but as fwd, can play back but needs to kick more goals or find someone else to.
Brent Moloney long kicking midfielder, the only one at Melbourne, cant afford to miss games.

On the decline
Clint Bizzell may need to go back as a forward or he is finished (has been replaced by Holland in the socail pages)
Shannon Motlop on his last chance as with Simon Godfrey