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

[EnolaGay]

I think the penny has dropped - he knows he belongs

 

[eth-dog]

Coldacre you a fan yet?

 

[Stopher]

In our best 22 now, which definitely wasn't the case at the beginning of the season. Good on him.

 

[Coldacre]

Coldacre you a fan yet?

played well today, kicked a nice goal. but no, not a fan yet.

watch how many times he kicks into the man on the mark against Hawthorn next week.

 

[eth-dog]

played well today, kicked a nice goal. but no, not a fan yet.

watch how many times he kicks into the man on the mark against Hawthorn next week.

He isn't Stanton. Kicking into the man on the mak has never been a problem

 

[EnolaGay]

He's no orphan when it comes to that, I reckon a dozen players have done that this season, including Jakey C on the weekend which gifted Cameron a goal.

 

[Coldacre]

He isn't Stanton.

you got that right!!

 

[Rack Watts]

I am glad our coaches aren't as stupid as me.
Well done Melksham, phenomenal transformation.

 

[monty1104]

In our best 22 now, which definitely wasn't the case at the beginning of the season. Good on him.

You serious?

 

[yaco55]

What I am noticing is how well he is moving through the stoppages.

That left foot snap on goal was sublime

But you wrote in another thread that's its the quality of clearances that matter, when I wrote, it is pleasing to see Melksham/Myers/Heppell winning clearances in the last 2 weeks.

 

[Yoda_]

But you wrote in another thread that's its the quality of clearances that matter, when I wrote, it is pleasing to see Melksham/Myers/Heppell winning clearances in the last 2 weeks.

HaHa well played sir, well played

He is the one, along with Howlett and Zaka that seem to have that breakaway pace from the stoppage. We do tend (as a collective) to go over the stoppage, which gives the opposition backs better chances at killing the high ball than going through the stoppages and lowering our eyes and hitting up our forwards with those lower balls in. (see Travis Cloke 2013 version compared to Travis Cloke 2012).

 

[Stopher]

You serious?

His form since (and including) the Carlton game would suggest he is very, very close. Kicking big goals of late too which is a rather large string to your bow

 

[silk]

I think he is acting faster. As soon as he stops to think, he seems to make mistakes, but when he acts on instinct alone, he usually does well.

 

[Lance Uppercut]

Good on ya Melky.

Who'd have thought? Young player needs 50 odd games to find his feet. What a shock

 

[monty1104]

His form since (and including) the Carlton game would suggest he is very, very close. Kicking big goals of late too which is a rather large string to your bow

I meant are you serious that he wasn't best 22 at the start of the season. He had played every game in 2011 and 2012. Pretty sure that makes him best 22, in the eyes of TRB at least.

 

[monty1104]

Good on ya Melky.

Who'd have thought? Young player needs 50 odd games to find his feet. What a shock

 

[JDavey]

Good on ya Melky.

Who'd have thought? Young player needs 50 odd games to find his feet. What a shock

The fact we've been spoiled with Hibberd and Heppell has made a lot of people forget that.

 

[hurlygurdy]

Interesting to contrast the last few games for the club with what happened late last year. We needed him to step up last year and he failed badly. Where would we be right now if he had repeated last years form? Makes you wonder how fragile our current success is. Take the form of Melksham and the presence of Goddard our of this team and what would be happening?

 

[Matthew_Lloyd]

Set for a huge game on Friday night against the best team in the AFL

 

[monty1104]

Interesting to contrast the last few games for the club with what happened late last year. We needed him to step up last year and he failed badly. Where would we be right now if he had repeated last years form? Makes you wonder how fragile our current success is. Take the form of Melksham and the presence of Goddard our of this team and what would be happening?

So youre saying the difference between this year and last year is primarily the extra 4.1 posessions per game that Melksham gets, and Goddard?

It wouldn't also have anything to do with...

• Hibberd's form. Could be AA
• Carlisle's form. Could be AA
• The inclusion of Kommer
• Bellchambers and Ryder becoming arguably the best ruck duo in the comp
• Having a stand alone VFL team, making competition for spots even more tough than last year
• No soft tissue injuries

Now I've probably taken some poetic license with what you have said, but there are many things that have contributed to our rise this year. ASADA investigation aside, we have had pretty much a flawless season. It is a huge contrast to last season. In reality though, we are probably ahead of where we should be because everything (ASADA aside) has gone our way this year. Next year might see us slip again, or we might continue our upwards trend, who knows. There are too many determining factors when it comes to success to put it down to just one or two things.

 

[hurlygurdy]

So youre saying the difference between this year and last year is primarily the extra 4.1 posessions per game that Melksham gets, and Goddard?

It wouldn't also have anything to do with...

• Hibberd's form. Could be AA
• Carlisle's form. Could be AA
• The inclusion of Kommer
• Bellchambers and Ryder becoming arguably the best ruck duo in the comp
• Having a stand alone VFL team, making competition for spots even more tough than last year
• No soft tissue injuries

Now I've probably taken some poetic license with what you have said, but there are many things that have contributed to our rise this year. ASADA investigation aside, we have had pretty much a flawless season. It is a huge contrast to last season. In reality though, we are probably ahead of where we should be because everything (ASADA aside) has gone our way this year. Next year might see us slip again, or we might continue our upwards trend, who knows. There are too many determining factors when it comes to success to put it down to just one or two things.

I take your point, but i think there is no doubt the games that we have won recently would have been much closer... And by the way, in the second half of the season last year(without looking at the stats) Melky was getting about 9 touches a week from my memory, and that is a BIG difference.
It also seems to me that the sins of last year are still being visited upon players like Jetta, but Melksham walked away untouched. I guess his age was his ticket out of responsibility.

 

[monty1104]

I take your point, but i think there is no doubt the games that we have won recently would have been much closer... And by the way, in the second half of the season last year(without looking at the stats) Melky was getting about 9 touches a week from my memory, and that is a BIG difference.
It also seems to me that the sins of last year are still being visited upon players like Jetta, but Melksham walked away untouched. I guess his age was his ticket out of responsibility.

Maybe you should look at the stats then He was slightly down on his season average, but not by as much as you suggest.

 

[EnolaGay]

Not sure talking hypotheticals about our season makes any sense hurlygurdy? On top of the points donsman4eva has raised, you can add:

- another preseason under the belt (and in Melk's case maybe less bulk more endurance?)
- much, much better team defence/defensive actions
- the return of Licka & Baguley's solid work

 

[daffo]

Sure, he has improved but half the team has.
We haven't put the foot down the last two weeks. We'll be fresh for the end of the year.

 

[hurlygurdy]

Maybe you should look at the stats then He was slightly down on his season average, but not by as much as you suggest.

Yeah i should have looked... Did so now and saw he averaged 11.7 touches for the last 7 games (losses) for the year. On the whole i will stand by my statement and suggest that he is making one hell of a difference to the side right now in direct contrast to last year. I know i am cherry picking one factor out of many, but if i'd known in round 3 how crucial Melksham was going to be late in the season, i would have been genuinely sh*****g myself...