Player Watch #43 Lewis Melican - All Aboard the Melicopter...aka The Melican Brief

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Lewis Melican

Player Profile

Lewis Melican is a young key defender with enormous promise. The Victorian was rookie-listed by the Sydney Swans in November 2014 and enjoyed a breakthrough 2017 season en route to winning the club’s Rising Star award. He kept St Kilda great Nick Riewoldt to just 10 possessions and one goal in Round 18 to claim an AFL Rising Star nomination. Melican has battled a number of injuries in his time in red and white but didn’t suffer any setbacks in 2019. Draft history: 2015 Rookie Draft selection (Sydney) No. 52.

Lewis Melican

DOB: 04 November 1996
DEBUT:2015
DRAFT:2017
RECRUITED FROM: Birregurra (Vic)/Geelong U18

 
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Dead set embarassing performance today. I reckon at least a half dozen contested marks taken on him, and 'contested' is just using the technical term.

He lifted in the last quarter but the damage was well and truly done
 
Jun 16, 2012
25,015
25,574
AFL Club
Sydney
Dead set embarassing performance today. I reckon at least a half dozen contested marks taken on him, and 'contested' is just using the technical term.

He lifted in the last quarter but the damage was well and truly done
What was worse than losing the marks, he had heeney wide open and refuse to take the kick late. 25m. Insulting that he is an AFL player
 

elastic

Cometh the moment
Jul 24, 2012
1,102
2,354
Melbourne
AFL Club
Sydney
I think he is still worth perservering with. Had his colours lowered by Hogan and frustrated me with his decisions to punch instead of mark but key defenders can take time. He has had a lot of injury interruptions. I had Reg Grundy written off for most of his career. He was beaten today but not disgraced. He had some good moments.
 
Dont know who was worse Bell or Melican.

Probably Melican given how easily Hogan creating seperation.

Dead heat. Both aren’t AFL standard. Bell is just Jordan Foote all over again he tries but he’s hopeless. Melican is a defender that doesn’t stand on his man. Which one is worse
 

Citrus22

Premiership Player
Jun 21, 2015
3,475
4,679
AFL Club
Sydney
Great last quarter, found some confidence. Hogan led beautifully all day and got the arms extended marking the ball at the highest point. Tough to beat.
 
I think he is still worth perservering with. Had his colours lowered by Hogan and frustrated me with his decisions to punch instead of mark but key defenders can take time. He has had a lot of injury interruptions. I had Reg Grundy written off for most of his career. He was beaten today but not disgraced. He had some good moments.

I don't usually go this hard at players but I do think he was disgraced.

Hogan took a career high in contested marks on him (and they became relatively easy grabs by the point of the mark), then they switched Melican to a first year player in Sproule and he got a career high in contested marks on him too.
 

swanssince2002

Norm Smith Medallist
Jul 21, 2018
7,347
7,440
21kms from Sydney
AFL Club
Sydney
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I think if it was any lesser light like Brand and Stoddart for example who pulled off that performance that would have resulted in their delisting. But because of the lack of KPD options on this team, he will be backed in as a depth piece.

No doubt Blakey is ahead of him though when it comes to spots in the backline. But not a player to play for the finals.
 

Kapers

Norm Smith Medallist
Sep 25, 2019
5,055
11,566
AFL Club
Sydney
I want to see him with a full season, but yeah, not a good game.

at least he got better as it went on.
 
Looking forward to seeing what Melican can do next year if he can stay fit. I recall he was just about BOG in our pre-season hit-out this season and was a certainty to line-up for round 1, then he got injured. Missed five weeks, came back in round 5, only managed 3 games (which is about how long it seems to take him to find form), and then got injured again. Missed fifteen weeks, came back in round 22, and only managed that cursed 3 games again. He also didn't manage to play a single scheduled VFL match.

He literally just hasn't been able to get any continuity. Anyone writing him off in terms of ability is talking dribble because he's barely had the opportunity to show it. It's like saying, "Gee, how bad has Sam Naismith's tap-work been the last few years!"
 
Strengths: is tall, can run, enjoys the weight room, games have been won off his own boot.

Achievements: Long term contract, current holder of the Cheese Barlow Award.*

Long term ambition: To change his name to Deano.

* The actual whereabouts of the Award are unknown. It was last sighted with Dean Towers.
 

Kapers

Norm Smith Medallist
Sep 25, 2019
5,055
11,566
AFL Club
Sydney
I'm pretty bullish about Melican. I'm on C88's side of things, he takes 2-4 games to really hit his stride, and then decides he wants 2 months off.

The question isn't is he good enough as a player, but is his body good enough to play?

If he gets a season at it he'll be a lock for best 22. I don't really know how he got a 3 year extension, but maybe we're confident he's getting past his hammy issues...
 

Swan4Life

Club Legend
Jan 29, 2008
2,041
3,920
Sydney
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Sydney
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Strengths: is tall, can run, enjoys the weight room, games have been won off his own boot.

Achievements: Long term contract, current holder of the Cheese Barlow Award.*

Long term ambition: To change his name to Deano.

* The actual whereabouts of the Award are unknown. It was last sighted with Dean Towers.

The story goes that Deano actually stole it right out of Barlow's hands but, in typical Cheese style, by the time he turned around at the speed of a glacier, Deano was gone.
 
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