Player Watch #18: Jake Melksham – back for 2024

[Topkent]

He kicks on his left better than our midfield left footers. Forget about Salem Melk is the best kick in our side

 

[Gysberts2Bate]

He kicks on his left better than our midfield left footers. Forget about Salem Melk is the best kick in our side

I said somewhere on here when we recruited him that he’d be our best kick and offer nothing else. Was right about one thing...

 

[Topkent]

I said somewhere on here when we recruited him that he’d be our best kick and offer nothing else. Was right about one thing...

I thought we could turn him into a very good player aswell. Thought he had too much natural talent and was the perfect type to chase as he was talented but inconsistent. Never thought he would be a gun mid/small forward.

 

[mrmonkey]

Post game Viney mentioned his AFL X form .

That second round pick was an absolute steal, no wonder why Goodwin wanted him.

 

[00Stinger]

all hail Goody on this insanely good list management decision

Sent from my SM-G930F using Tapatalk

 

[hurlygurdy]

Extremely unfair. This guy dragged us down for years. Logic says that it shows how much more coaches know than me, but i can't help thinking that Milkshake won some kind of lottery where he got gifted several senior years based on * all. Glad he went to you and not the scum, filth or poo

 

[Gysberts2Bate]

Extremely unfair. This guy dragged us down for years. Logic says that it shows how much more coaches know than me, but i can't help thinking that Milkshake won some kind of lottery where he got gifted several senior years based on **** all. Glad he went to you and not the scum, filth or poo

Was wasted as a midfielder at Essendon

 

[hurlygurdy]

Was wasted as a midfielder at Essendon

true

Love the tag

 

[Tulip]

Its funny, because we recruited him to play HBF and he was so terrible that we had to try him somewhere else. Just so happens he is a really good forward. Who'd have thunk it?

 

[Ablett2Garland]

 

[Devastating Boris]

I reckon he’ll get the job on Laird next week.

 

[Cannon82]

Quietly looking forward to Jake playing s**t again.

 

[00Stinger]

5th best individual game game ever according to the AFL ranking system (which I know is flawed)

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-05-22/buddy-stevie-j-gaz-and-jake-melksham#/

 

[Topkent]

5th best individual game game ever according to the AFL ranking system (which I know is flawed)

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2018-05-22/buddy-stevie-j-gaz-and-jake-melksham#/

Oi don't steal my post campaigner

 

[00Stinger]

Oi don't steal my post campaigner

lol. I just saw that in the other thread

 

[rhaz]

His field kicking is elite too. Some of the easiest marks we've taken inside fwd 50 this year have been from absolute sniper kicks from the Snek.

 

[Topkent]

His field kicking is elite too. Some of the easiest marks we've taken inside fwd 50 this year have been from absolute sniper kicks from the Snek.

Number 1 in the AFL for goal assists this year.

 

[stEdy]

I used to hate his guts at Essendon as well

That's what makes this all so good

 

[knackers29]

Best One-on-one player in the comp apparently! I Must admit I thought it was a shocking trade at the time but everything's coming up Milhouse!

From the Herald Sun

WHO is the AFL’s one-on-one king close to goal?
Is it Geelong’s hulking spearhead Tom Hawkins? What about Richmond bull Dustin Martin? Perhaps it is Sydney colossus Lance Franklin?

Wrong. Wrong .Wrong. After Round 10 this season the answer is surprisingly underrated and undersized Melbourne forward Jake Melksham, and by some margin.

The Demons forward has won nine out of his 14 one-on-one contests in the attacking 50m this season, with his career-best form a key reason behind the club’s surge to third on the ladder.

Melksham, 26, is listed at just 186cm and 83kg and yet he is proving hard to beat in the most dangerous part of the ground.

The former Essendon player’s stocks soar even higher when you analyse footy’s ‘‘money kick’ — going inside 50m.
While Melksham is becoming unmovable near goal, he is even better at delivering the ball to the hot spot.

This season the Demons have retained possession from 23 out of Melksham’s 35 kicks inside 50m, ranked No.2 in the AFL and above elite ball users Martin, Scott Pendlebury and Dayne Zorko.

If you look at the ‘‘money kick’ men over the past four weeks, Melksham towers above the rest of the competition.

Since Round 6 the Demons have retained possession from a ridiculous 93.3 per cent of Melksham’s kicks inside 50m.
The next best is Brisbane Lion’s Tom Cutler (71.4 per cent) and Melksham’s teammate, Clayton Oliver, is ranked fourth at 62.5 per cent over the past month.

Many Demon fans were surprised when their club parted with pick No.25 in the 2015 draft for Melksham, a selection used by Essendon on Mason Redman (three games).
Melksham then sat out the 2016 season due to the drugs saga but has since repaid the faith shown by coach Simon Goodwin.

Melksham slotted 4.0 against Richmond on Anzac eve and then booted 5.0 against Carlton last week, a performance rated his best in six seasons by Champion Data.

The brutal return of co-captain Jack Viney, the hot form of out-of-contract players Tom McDonald and Angus Brayshaw and the improvement of recruit Jake Lever are hogging the spotlight as the Demons emerge as a serious player in this year’s premiership race.

But it is Melksham’s weapons in the front half that deserve a decent share of the spotlight.
Last season Melksham was used to tag Norm Smith Medallist Jason Johannisen when the Demons beat the Western Bulldogs at Etihad Stadium.
When they meet again on Saturday it is more likely that Melksham will be the man facing the clamp.

 

[Gysberts2Bate]

He's in the AFL player ratings team of the year now. Sneaky AA chance

 

[harry000]

He's in the AFL player ratings team of the year now. Sneaky AA chance

Needs at least another season of media attention before he even thinks about displacing a permanent mid from a half forward flank no matter how well he plays

 

[Gysberts2Bate]

Needs at least another season of media attention before he even thinks about displacing a permanent mid from a half forward flank no matter how well he plays

To be fair he's played 6 phenomenal games after being so so to start with. If he kicks on I'm sure he'll get a look in. Got plenty of attention in February

 

[Topkent]

What a player. Gus gets alot of attention for his left peg but Melk is even better on both feet. I'm not sure if he's missed a single kick going inside 50 for about 6 weeks

 

[harry000]

To be fair he's played 6 phenomenal games after being so so to start with. If he kicks on I'm sure he'll get a look in. Got plenty of attention in February

Oh, I totally agree with you!

I don't agree with the way they pick AA. The way they do it Oliver is just as likely to be on a forward flank as Melksham is.

 

[Sando22]

Love what he's done.
A handy boxer too apparently