Traded #17: Jake Melksham - Traded to Melbourne for pick 25

[byronstjames]

i'm gonna stick up for him here.

Yeah he's not in great form, i'll definitely concede that. But when he was on the ground he was playing exclusively half forward in the period where we were setting world records for giving the footy directly to the opposition going forward

I can count on one hand the times he got the ball and even though he did drop that sitter of a mark, he didn't do any typical Melksham deadshit things, he just strugged to get involved. Chappy and Goddard were the same, but they had the opportunity to come back into it once we got things moving, Melk didn't.

Still needs a colossal boot up the backside

It's his off the ball work that is infuriating. I made special note of watching him when he didn't have the ball last night, and he was atrocious. There were moments when he was running away from the ball carrier, with no eyes on anything that was going on.

I'm willing to concede that he might have been one of the players that may not have got up for this game, but he's done close to nothing this year. For someone who has been on our list on the basis of the couple of outstanding games he plays a year, it's nowhere near good enough.

 

[northcote_cowboy]

I've said it before and I'll say it again!

Lets trade Melksham to North in exchange for Cunnington or Atley (plus a 3rd round pick).

Melksham gets to go to North. A club he loved as a junior, and then we'll have a good chuckle when they do a Shane Harvey on him, except that Melkshazam will be at some EDFL club like Aberfeldie or Doutta Stars instead of North Heidelberg. I might add that Harvs is blitzing the NFL Division 2 this year!

 

[eth-dog]

Why would we want another slow, inside midfielder like Cunnington?

 

[Zach Package]

Cunnington is a gun.

North would never do that in a million years

 

[eth-dog]

Cunnington is a gun.

North would never do that in a million years

Yes, but we have too many of his type. Watson and Heppell are both better, and both can kick.

 

[matty lloyd the champ]

Melksham for Cunnington?

Have I stumbled across the delusional pearlers thread?

 

[The Speaker]

What does he offer that no-one else on the list can?

 

[Doss]

If North took Melksham and gave us Cunnington we'd be laughing from the rooftops.

Wouldn't happen.

 

[Mercuri Rising]

I thought this was a Dyson + 3rd rounder type of suggestion...it's actually serious?

 

[Bomberblitzer]

I thought this was a Dyson + 3rd rounder type of suggestion...it's actually serious?

Dyson + 3rd rounder for Melksham to stop being a cocktease.

 

[BrunoV]

What does he offer that no-one else on the list can?

He can work his way through traffic and hit a 50m bullet better than anyone on the list but it doesn't happen very often.

 

[srobbo]

Have to keep Melksham - he still has high potential to be a good mid/utility. His trade value is low so not worth going down that path. Persist with and I think he'll come good. As others have said his finish to 2013 was excellent.

Persist? What until he becomes a bona fide list clogger if he already isn't. Seriously this bloke is one of the worst footballers going around at the moment. Saturday was symbolic of why we should offload him. As soon as we subbed him, our fortunes took a turn for the better.

Just glad that Bomber's actually bitten the bullet this year and dropped him for an extended period. I dare say he's played his last game this year now & hopefully the last for the club. I'd even be offering him up to the dogs for Higgins.

 

[reincarnated]

He had a good game against Richmond and a bad game last week. But he played a forward role in both games. He is not a forward. Can play a role in the back line. But unlikely to play consistent good football as a forward.

 

[FlyingV]

People forget that at the end of last year this guy was the only bloke capable of gathering 20+ possies and was legitimately one of our better performers.

He's been crap, but give him time, he has talent and plenty of experience for a young kid

 

[GandalfTheDon]

I don't know why any of you guys are talking about trading. With player suspensions looming, all clubs will be weary of making deals for our players....

 

[Dolner]

People forget that at the end of last year this guy was the only bloke capable of gathering 20+ possies and was legitimately one of our better performers.

He's been crap, but give him time, he has talent and plenty of experience for a young kid

Totally he finished 5th in the B&F after an average first half of the season. Would've been in our top 3 for the second half of 2013, so there's definitely a lot to work with.
For me he's a shut down midfielder. When he doesn't have a set task (ie. Take Ryan Griffen out of the game) he wofts around like a fart in the wind.
But when he does have a task he's very effective and complements that with some moments of genuine attacking quality.
Strikes me as a dumb kid who needs a simple job.
You don't invest this much into a highly drafted midfielder then trade him when he's worth nothing.

 

[daffo]

I agree. People are forgetting his form late last year. It appeared as though he turned the corner and was playing really well. He has struggled this year. he may just work better with Hirdy. He will most likely get dropped this week and I'm ok with that. Hopefully he plays well next year.

 

[Doss]

Melk mirrors Essendon in a lot of ways. Frustrating and inconsistent. Brilliant on some occasions, mind bogglingly awful on others. And rarely do either leave you surprised with what they turn out because the gulf between best to worst is so large.

 

[Pevers-Legend]

Half a season of good football does not make a player.

However, he is worth persevering with for another season or 2 as he has shown he has what it takes.

He shouldn't play again until he can demand a spot. We are better team for it if he pushes his way back in. Much like with Pears.

 

[Kong]

I agree. People are forgetting his form late last year.

Was his 2013 season even that good?

He was pretty good against Carlton, and had a very good second half of the season by standards.

But by neutral standards I'd still only rate his entire 2013 as maybe a 6/10.

(I'm aware he finished 5th in the B&F).

 

[Doss]

Was his 2013 season even that good?

He was pretty good against Carlton, and had a very good second half of the season by standards.

But by neutral standards I'd still only rate his entire 2013 as maybe a 6/10.

(I'm aware he finished 5th in the B&F).

Nah, he was a very solid player for us in the second half of last year. Still played very well when our form nosedived, too.

 

[Kakkle]

I actually think Jake was one of our more consistent players through out the whole of 2013, people only really mention the 2nd half of the season as just about everyone's form had dropped off in the side bar Jake's.

 

[Ben the Gooner]

Multiple goals on 5 occasions.

 

[Doss]

I remember being a bit surprised that he didn't sneak a Brownlow vote in the first Carlton game.

 

[Whispering_Jack]

I actually think Jake was one of our more consistent players through out the whole of 2013, people only really mention the 2nd half of the season as just about everyone's form had dropped off in the side bar Jake's.

Jeebers, I'd forgotten how good we were last year up to round 17 - Other than the Brisbane game of course.