A Preseason Preview - Part 12 of 16 - Melbourne

[johnson2richo2003]

I just remember that thread j2r everyone was basically picking the same ladder. I just tried to predict something a little different. There is always a surprise slider and surprise mover. Adelaide are my tip to be the surprise riser as I reckon they have some good younng kpp forwards who will be good players plus Reilly off half back and a great on ball division when firing. PLus, the anchor Ayres has gone.

It wouldnt suprise me the least that last years 8 stays the same although im hard pressed thinking that the bombers will be able to stay up there.
most obvious choice would be Freo in.Bombers out.

 

[pahoffm]

My best 22 for the team at the moment would be as follows:

B:  Whelan, Nicholson, Brown.
HB: Bizzell, Rivers, Wheatley.
C:  Green, Moloney, Johnstone.
HF Robertson, Miller, Davey.
F:  Holland, Neitz, Yze.
R: White, Bruce, McDonald
I: Jamar, Heffernan, McLean, Sylvia

While I acknowledge the role that Thompson played for us in the middle, I think that we have a very undervalued player in McDonald that does a lot of the hard work in this area that goes unrecognised. He needs a partner in crime and Moloney might just be the one.

Yes McDonald, with 20+ possies 8 times last year, would be a good choice as well for the roving spot. Personally I'd prefer Brown with 20+ possies on 11 occassions. Although with McDonald you would get better value by way of tackling, he gets more than twice as many tackles than Brown.

 

[CHF]

My best 22 for the team at the moment would be as follows:

B:  Whelan, Nicholson, Brown.
HB: Bizzell, Rivers, Wheatley.
C:  Green, Moloney, Johnstone.
HF Robertson, Miller, Davey.
F:  Holland, Neitz, Yze.
R: White, Bruce, McDonald
I: Jamar, Heffernan, McLean, Sylvia

While I acknowledge the role that Thompson played for us in the middle, I think that we have a very undervalued player in McDonald that does a lot of the hard work in this area that goes unrecognised. He needs a partner in crime and Moloney might just be the one.

Yes McDonald, with 20+ possies 8 times last year, would be a good choice as well for the roving spot. Personally I'd prefer Brown with 20+ possies on 11 occassions. Although with McDonald you would get better value by way of tackling, he gets more than twice as many tackles than Brown.

Brown played 90% of the season in the back line or on the HB line and gathered his possessions there.... he was very very effective for us there and I would expect him to play a similar role this season. From memory I think he managed to sneak forward and dob a couple of goals for us last season.

Whelan might find himself in the middle a little bit this year and i think he could go well there....

 

[pahoffm]

Brown played 90% of the season in the back line or on the HB line and gathered his possessions there.... he was very very effective for us there and I would expect him to play a similar role this season. From memory I think he managed to sneak forward and dob a couple of goals for us last season.

Whelan might find himself in the middle a little bit this year and i think he could go well there....

Yes, but because Brown has played in the BP/HBF in the past, it doesn't exclude him from playing in the midfield in 2005. We've had fellows like Tony Free and Chris Bond who have alternated either in a BP or C or Rr.
It just depends if he has the capacity to still pick up 20+ possies on the inside.

 

[CHF]

Brown played 90% of the season in the back line or on the HB line and gathered his possessions there.... he was very very effective for us there and I would expect him to play a similar role this season. From memory I think he managed to sneak forward and dob a couple of goals for us last season.

Whelan might find himself in the middle a little bit this year and i think he could go well there....

Yes, but because Brown has played in the BP/HBF in the past, it doesn't exclude him from playing in the midfield in 2005. We've had fellows like Tony Free and Chris Bond who have alternated either in a BP or C or Rr.
It just depends if he has the capacity to still pick up 20+ possies on the inside.

I can see your point, Phantom, but I think he will play back rather than the centre. The loss of Broadbridge has closed down a couple of options in the back six and while Brown is not the same type of player Troy was, I think his loss will have a flow on effect and keep Brown down the back.

If any players is required from the back line to move forward I think Whelan would be the iption. we have some depth back there with Bell and Ward and also Yze to play back there running forward.

 

[pahoffm]

Yep, fair enough.

By the way, the reason I didn't put Bate & Dunn into the top 22 is only because they are not there yet. Both Dunn & Bate, I believe, and I saw them many times in the TAC last year, are both very capable of playing in the seniors this year. Both have good height and strong bodies.

Dunn can play either CHF or CHB. Bate is probably more a HFF/FF now, but will in time develop into a Justin Leppitsch type CHB. I liked both boys when I saw them last year. Shame we didn't get them, but we did very well anyway., and Pattison probably serves our junior rucking purposes better than either Dunn or Bate.

 

[CHF]

I have not seen the two of them play as yet and have only seen them once at training. Dunn looked a bit more progressed then bate and it would not surprise me fi the Rev gave him a rum early in the season to see how he went. We have Bell who had three games last year and I expect he will get more time.... Nick Smith may also come along this year as well.

I have appreciated the way that The Rev has developed the younger players on our list over the last few seasons by not throwing them in too soon. This is the way that Dunn, Bate nad Newton will be developed. (They sound like a firm of lawyers.)

Thanks for the infor on them.

 

[pahoffm]

Yep,
Bell needs to pick up more possessions.
Smith has picked up multiple goals as a key forward, and
Newton could play FF/FB.

 

[FightingFury]

I have not seen the two of them play as yet and have only seen them once at training. Dunn looked a bit more progressed then bate and it would not surprise me fi the Rev gave him a rum early in the season to see how he went. We have Bell who had three games last year and I expect he will get more time.... Nick Smith may also come along this year as well.

I thought you lot were the Gin and Tonic set??
Now you tell me the coach plys the boys with Rum in the pre season??

Hope young Dunn handles his bender well enough not to urinate on patrons,or drive home afterwards.

 

[CHF]

I thought you lot were the Gin and Tonic set??
Now you tell me the coach plys the boys with Rum in the pre season??

Hope young Dunn handles his bender well enough not to urinate on patrons,or drive home afterwards.           


lol.... Rum is the Rev's tipple of choice I think he is trying to cultivate a more common touch......

 

[tigersnake]

Fair enough assessment, shade harsh if anything. Decent side that will finish 6th or 7th I reckon. What has been an absolute boon for Melb. has been finding 2 very good young KPPs in 1 year, Miller and Rivers, I'd love it if that happened to us by jingo. Lot depends on these 2 IMO.

I have to admit, I like Robertson. His game in the 2000 GF was very gutsy in a side that was otherwise swamped.

 

[Otis]

I never bother predicting how Melbourne are going to go, they're all over the place. They might wind up with Blumfield now (now that they've been given a chance to replace Broadbridge with an experienced player. Normally I'd hate to see an ex-tiger actually perform well at their next team (god bless you Jeff Hogg), although out of respect for Melbourne I wouldn't mind them getting a good player.

 

[the claw]

Expect to see big things from Brock McClean & Colin Silvia in 2005.
Colin Silvia could easily win the AFL Rising Star competition.

agree 100% but its not just these 2 they have a glut of very promising kids who are capable of putting pressure on senior players.

 

[pahoffm]

Personally, if I had to find a replacement for Broadbridge, I'd go for Matty Rogers.
He's untied to any club. His stats from his one opportunity last year were:

Rnd K H P M HO T FF FA G B
15 11 4 15 7 0 1 0 0 1 0

Yes, he only played the one game but got 15 possies in it, and maintained his goal a game average. It was only the poor for of the Tiger coaching staff that kept Rogers out.

He is very fit, and not prone to leg injuries like Blumfield. He will have desire because he desperately wants to get to 200 games. And Melbourne would have flexibility with him on a one year contract. So CHF, if you have any influence at Melbourne, I'd be going for Matty Rogers.

 

[mb64]

Personally, if I had to find a replacement for Broadbridge, I'd go for Matty Rogers.
He's untied to any club. His stats from his one opportunity last year were:

Rnd K H P M HO T FF FA G B
15 11 4 15 7 0 1 0 0 1 0

Yes, he only played the one game but got 15 possies in it, and maintained his goal a game average. It was only the poor for of the Tiger coaching staff that kept Rogers out.

He is very fit, and not prone to leg injuries like Blumfield. He will have desire because he desperately wants to get to 200 games. And Melbourne would have flexibility with him on a one year contract. So CHF, if you have any influence at Melbourne, I'd be going for Matty Rogers.

Melbourne could do alot worse than go for Rogers but they would probably only get 1 year out of him.It would be good to see him play 200 but this should have happened last year.