5 key players

[Topkent]

Who are your 5 key players who must have big year for us to be successful

Mine in order are

Frawley
Clark
Jamar
Trengove
Sylvia

You might say that's our 5 best players but the reasoning being that last time we were even half decent Frawley an jamar were all Australian, Mitch Clark carried the forward line for the first half of the year ... Trenners being a captain would be morale boosting for every one else if he had a big one and Sylvia can win a game on his own playing well ...

 

[jhong]

Gawn taps to viney,( who runs throu scully), handballs to toumpas who hits hogan lace out , he drills it from 50

 

[d33my]

You could argue that our five key players are actually the ones on the other end of the spectrum, those that in the past haven't been consistent and in and out of the side - a chain is only as strong as its weakest link and all that.

I don't want to hazard a guess at who those five might be, anyone else feel game?

 

[Topkent]

You could argue that our five key players are actually the ones on the other end of the spectrum, those that in the past haven't been consistent and in and out of the side - a chain is only as strong as its weakest link and all that.

I don't want to hazard a guess at who those five might be, anyone else feel game?

You could certainly argue that the 5 key players are Strauss , blease , tapscott , Jetta , garland .. That would mean that as our whole our club has improved

 

[Tulip]

Clark needs to get back on the park and play like he did when he first came.

Sylvia hitting consistency could take us up another level (lol).

Davey could prove a game-breaker if he can get to the feet of Clark and Dawes.

Grimes' fitness could define how much of a direction we have on field.

Jamar is capable of big things, but needs to lift more for his own sake than ours.

 

[maxmustard]

Clark
Frawley
Jones
Sylvia
Trengove

 

[Sellout Scully]

Clark
Jamar
Frawley
Trengove
Blease (bit of a wild card, but we need someone that has pace to improve, otherwise we'll be too big and slow)

 

[Captain Jack]

Dawes is more important than Clark in a way I reckon, purely because he's expected to start round 1. Clark's recovery is up in the air a bit, so if Dawes can hold the fort up forward for the first part of the season then Clark's return will be a bonus, something that need not be rushed, rather than a case of "quick, get him in the team ASAP!"

Frawley was down last year, needs to rebound back near his excellent best.

Sylvia, as we say every year, needs to step up. One of the most senior players now.

Trengove needs to be fit and firing, otherwise fools will start questioning the captaincy.

Having Watts play consistently good football as our 'quarterback' would do so much for how our team plays and how effective we can be.

 

[The Mighty Boosh]

McDonald
Watts
Trengove
Sylvia
Blease

If these guys step it up another notch (or at least become consistant) we'll improve immensely. I think Frawley/Jones/Grimes/Clark are just as important but are consistantly good performers that will be able to show even more with proper support from the likes above.

(Not including any new recruits)

 

[Crusty Demon]

#1 - Frawley - now we have a bit of back up in defence, all's not lost if he doesn't play, but he's still the 1 player we can't do without IMO
#2 - Jamar - not as dominant last season, but with our backup ruck as Spencer, god we need Jamar to stay fit and healthy
#3 - Jones - with our midfield being boosted by youth, Jones is crucial to us the next couple of years and he's also become the best player at the club
#4 - Clark - for obvious reasons. Back up ruck, proven goal kicker. Dawes will be handy, but Clark is the key to our forward success
#5 - Grimes - can play midfield and back, but if he's fit and playing well, he is very important for us

 

[SPC 98]

Would have to look at barometers..
1. Clark
2. Sylvia
3. Davey
4. Frawley
5. Watts.

If these guys are on our 'best player' list then we will win more than we lose. Especially Sylvia, not knocking the guy, but when he has a good game we generally win. Davey is also the guy who is running on top of the ground when we are up and about..

Look for lesser likes to stand up and play and equally important role this year.
1. Blease
2. Howe
3. Strauss
4. Taggert
5. Kent
* All reasonably good users of the footy

Hopefully this year it clicks for a lot of these guys!!

 

[The Professor]

Essential players that need to stand up.
1. Clark
2. Frawley
3. Grimes
4. Jones
5. Jamar

Look for lesser likes to stand up.
1. Jack Watts
2. Col Sylvia
3. SAm Blease
4. Luke Tapscott
5. Aaron Davey

 

[autocol]

Now that we've seen two in a row, I'm just going to mention that the cliche is "lesser lights".

 

[Yoda_]

Hey guys, dont mean to intrude but I would have thought that Jeremy Howe would be up there in your most important players? (This is not supercoach related either)..

Really improved from round 1 to round 23 last year, went from a more perma forward to roaming flanker, midfielder towards the back end of 2012. I would have thought if he can stand up again it would go a long way to making your side better.

 

[Topkent]

No mate its a valid point an probably a great argument could be made for him, however he had a pretty good year last year an we were still terrible .. I'm not to worried think the bloke will be an a grader in a couple more years anyway he's just a natural footballer just think it's more important for us to have other blokes fire as well

 

[Yoda_]

No mate its a valid point an probably a great argument could be made for him, however he had a pretty good year last year an we were still terrible .. I'm not to worried think the bloke will be an a grader in a couple more years anyway he's just a natural footballer just think it's more important for us to have other blokes fire as well

From an outsiders point of view, I think it is the next tier of players are the ones that need to step it up. As for your most important players (again from an outsiders point of view) in no particular order would be;

* Mark Jamar: first hands in the ruck is always good. His numbers around the ground can be as good as any and was included in the All Australian (or did he just miss out?) squad for no reason.

* James Frawley: the lynch pin in defence, another who has showed what he is capable. IF I was to build the Melbourne side from the ground up, Frawley's best would make him one of the first picked.

* Jack Grimes: do we know where his best position is yet? he is easily adapt in the middle but is more needed across half back, really impressed by his leadership, even at such a young age.

* Nathan Jones: The inside bull. Jones can do it all and would get a gig at almost every other side in the comp (something you should ask yourself when compiling a list like this IMO). Kicked goals, won it across half back and was a bull in the middle when the Dees accounted for my mob on the way to our spiraling out of control 2012.

* Jeremy Howe: Yeah i'm a fan, but he is more than just a one or two trick pony. Like I mentioned, he can win it up across half back and is so creative with it when going forward.

For the Dees to rapidly improve, I really hope that the next wave of superDees can step up and take signifacnt strides so that you guys can begin to enjoy some long awaited success. The likes of Watts, Trengove, Blease, J.McKenzie, Tapscott etc can continue the upward development and the new batch begin to make the transition to AFL ranks easily enough.

Good luck for 2013 guys, success isnt to far away. A strong Melbourne F.C is always good for the competition as you guys are some of the most humble winners of all supporters.

 

[RandB]

Hey guys, dont mean to intrude but I would have thought that Jeremy Howe would be up there in your most important players? (This is not supercoach related either)..

Really improved from round 1 to round 23 last year, went from a more perma forward to roaming flanker, midfielder towards the back end of 2012. I would have thought if he can stand up again it would go a long way to making your side better.

Agreed.

He has the skills and ability, a bigger tank, good size and a great training ethic. All these factors put together mean he will be hard to contain and I like his confidence too, he isn't a smart-arse but he isn't afraid to turn it on either.

As much as some supporters wanted him to play up forward for most of last year (understandably given our options) all that running and work he did down the ground has held him in good stead going forward. He is easily in our top 5 most important players as he is one of the hardest to replace.

He'll be in everything but a shit sandwich this year.

 

[emilybrown]

No particular order:

Sylvia - If this guy can play each game at his full potential that we all know he is capable of, he will most certainly help us win games. When he is good he is very good but when he is bad he is shocking. Just needs to turn things around.
Howe - Can be a game changer. Gives us spark just like Jurrah did.
Frawley - Our main man down back. We all know when he is playing well no one can get past him. Just needs to be able to do it every game.
Jones - Do I really need to say anything about this guy? Love him! Heart and soul of the club at the moment and I hope the love he has for this club rubs off on a few.
Dawes - Clark will be out for a little while longer so Dawes will be our main man down forward. His experience is much needed and our mids will be looking for him most of the time. Another tall but a bigger body is what we needed and he will become a very key player for us.

 

[saj_21]

No particular order:

Sylvia - If this guy can play each game at his full potential that we all know he is capable of, he will most certainly help us win games. When he is good he is very good but when he is bad he is shocking. Just needs to turn things around.
Howe - Can be a game changer. Gives us spark just like Jurrah did.
Frawley - Our main man down back. We all know when he is playing well no one can get past him. Just needs to be able to do it every game.
Jones - Do I really need to say anything about this guy? Love him! Heart and soul of the club at the moment and I hope the love he has for this club rubs off on a few.
Dawes - Clark will be out for a little while longer so Dawes will be our main man down forward. His experience is much needed and our mids will be looking for him most of the time. Another tall but a bigger body is what we needed and he will become a very key player for us.

Can't disagree with those in regards to the importance of those guys playing well for us to play well as a club. I would maybe argue for Jamar to recapture his 2011 AA form, he battled hard last year but for mine he season was below par and did escape a bit of the scrutiny.

Sylvia for mine is one player we need a Jones like improvement from in 2013, he is our most talented player and has all the attributes to be a Paul Chapman (circa 05-11) like player. Good height, size, strength and speed, one of our best if not the best kick, hopefully his body can give him a chance to get a consistent run at the top level. I was watching the round 13 GWS game during the week (to give me my weekly footy fix until the NAB cup) and one passage stood out to me. After a quiet first quarter and the commentators somewhat pasting Sylvia for it and highlighting he got a rev up from Neeld at 1/4 time. He really got going in the 2nd quarter playing some great inside footy, we won a centre clearence quick kick forward sylvia front and square bursts through 3-4 players (albeit 18 yr old kids) kicks a goal. It just summed col up, quick, powerful and skilful, he went straight to the bench on the phone to Neeld and you could see Neeld give him a wrap for his efforts.



In addition to col, we need the likes of Rodan to step up and bolster our mid field along with Grimes and Jones to support Viney and Toumpas, it's unfair to expect them to dominate from the outset. The likes of Jetta, Watts, Struass, 3-4 years in the system to cement there spots in the backline. Byrnes and Dawes to bolster out forward line, such as Rodan will in the midfield, in short these senior players need to have the impact, not our kids.

 

[d33my]

I've been waiting for Sylvia pull his finger out and 'improve' for god knows how long. Basically given up hope.

 

[Meds]

1. James Frawley: I'd have to take off my shoes to count the number of forwards that dined out on our backline last year. Both big and medium sized forwards consistently dominated for the opposition, and we were often at a loss to stop them. In previous seasons, Chip has been the go to guy when someone was getting on top but for some reason he lost the ability to contain a player once they were up and about. For us to be able to swing the momentum of a game when it's going against us we need Frawley to step up and put out these fires before they become all consuming.

2. Cam Pedersen: When was the last time you were sitting at the 'G, watching our beloved Red and Blue, that you saw a big strong target presenting on leads between the wing and half-forward? How many times have you seen our defenders piss-fart around with the ball at half-back, waiting for a lead that never comes or trying to run and carry like Geelong but without the skill, athleticism or intelligence? Pedersen has all the attributes to be a solid key forward that can provide the necessary link between defence and attack. In addition to this he can hold his own as a second ruckman allowing us to give the Russian a rest without having to carry Spencer on the bench.

3. Jack Watts: I think Jack is finally in a position where he feels comfortable at AFL level and realises the amount of work that is needed constantly to perform. He has played over fifty games now, a handful of them with a real impact and seems to have settled across half back. Defensively, he needs to step up this year and take on Rivs old role as the 3rd tall, zoning off when his man is not a target or if the opposition plays short in the forward line. Offensively, we want the ball in his hands as much as possible due to his sublime skills and decision making. This is what makes Hawthorn/Sydney/Geelong so good. Their attacking defenders are actually really good defenders, not just good kicks (ie. Flash, TJ types that have played across half back).

4. Nathan Jones: Our number one man from 2012 needs another big year if we're any chance of improving upon last season. He's the guy that got us going when we needed it, the guy that kept going when those around him stopped and the guy that best represents what it takes to wear the Red and Blue. The good news for Jonesy is that this season he should get more help from his peers. Everyone is fitter and stronger with a year under Neeld to gel them together, and the off-season additions add some grunt as well as outside polish to complement nicely. If Chunk can continue to improve in 2012 our midfield will be much closer to mixing it with the opposition.

5. Mitch Clark/Chris Dawes: I'm nominating these two together as I seem them working in tandem to post a winning score. If they can learn to work together, providing options both deep and short, busting packs, tacking contested marks and converting there is no reason the Dees can't climb the ladder in 2013. We can't afford to have the ball slingshot out of our forward line like days of old, teams are too good on the rebound. If Clark and Dawes are taking marks, or at the very least providing a target for mids to hit and Blease/Davey to get around the feet of we should be able to lock balls in and create scoring chances instead of watching the opposition stream into goal at the other end.

 

[Jordie_tackles]

Jones
Sylvia
Trengove
Clarke
Frawley

alternatively you could look at it as

Dawes
Rodan
Pederson
Byrnes
Viney

Being new additions who can impact as being better than our bottom 5 last year making a more drastic impact.

 

[Jordie_tackles]

I've been waiting for Sylvia pull his finger out and 'improve' for god knows how long. Basically given up hope.

finally thats what he has been waiting for!

 

[Sir Hugh Percy]

I reckon this year is all about building confidence in the list and that we're on the right track. So, my five are:

1. Dawes - I think (hope) the change of scenery and greater responsibility is going to be big for Chris Dawes and get him back on the trajectory he was on a couple of years ago. Not only important because faith in a big forward will be great for our structure, but it's very important because it'll let the team and the wider football public know that our recruitment and development guys are now on the ball. Therefore, anybody who's in the team now genuinely belongs there. We can't afford for the big investment in him to be a failure or it's the same old Melbourne - paying overs for spuds, not able to develop talent, etc. etc.

2. Trengove - As has already been said, it'll quiet the doubters and boost the morale if he fires. Up until last year I had no doubt that he was going to be an absolute jet, but my confidence in that is a little bit shakier now. Please don't let anyone ever be able to say with any real conviction, "You should have taken Dusty Martin."

3. Watts - Has all the attributes, but it seems only Dees supporters have any respect for him. It'd be a big deal going forward if he could silence the critics with a huge year.

4. Frawley - Holds the backline together, but has been down since the pec injury. Needs to get back his AA form and it'll be fantastic for the team structure and confidence.

5. Blease/Howe (Jetta?/Davey?/Rodan?) - The "X Factor" fellas. Nothing better for the morale than excitement machines turning it on.

 

[Bartram_Class]

Agree with those listing Dawes, he is going to be vital.