Player Watch Max Michalanney

[cmndstab]

I was thinking back to other Crows defenders who came in and had an immediate impact, and my mind went back to Otten and Rutten.

The difference is, they were both on the list for a while before actually coming in. Rutten was there for nearly three years before he got a job in defence and immediately showed his worth. Otten got a couple of matches in his first year and did very little with them before coming in as a second-year player and excelling.

To do it straight away in your first season, with a skinny frame and very little senior SANFL footy under his belt, is pretty crazy.

 

[LiquidCrow]

I was thinking back to other Crows defenders who came in and had an immediate impact, and my mind went back to Otten and Rutten.

The difference is, they were both on the list for a while before actually coming in. Rutten was there for nearly three years before he got a job in defence and immediately showed his worth. Otten got a couple of matches in his first year and did very little with them before coming in as a second-year player and excelling.

To do it straight away in your first season, with a skinny frame and very little senior SANFL footy under his belt, is pretty crazy.

Ben Hart is the one for me that comes to mind when I think about players who made an immediate impact in defence when just starting out.

At only 5 games in, Max is also looking like a gun player and it's about time we got something out of the F/S rules.

 

[Titch3Votes0MooreAA]

I just thought I'd drop by and say I love watching him play. He's just the perfect intercept third-tall defender, but he offers more than that. I can see shades of James Sicily

6

James Sicily

Age

30

Ht

188cm

Wt

90kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

18.3

5star

K

12.7

5star

HB

5.7

4star

M

6.3

5star

T

1.5

3star

MG

365.0

5star

D

19.4

4star

K

14.3

5star

HB

5.1

3star

M

5.9

5star

T

1.0

2star

MG

437.4

5star

D

10.0

3star

K

6.0

3star

HB

4.0

3star

M

4.2

4star

T

2.0

4star

MG

173.8

3star

and Tom Stewart in him. I was really high on him last year in his draft year and thought the ranking of him being a 30-60 pick was ludicrous, so I was happy to see him be valued by Sydney when they placed a bid on him at pick 17. I think you guys have got an elite player for the next decade and a half in Michalanney. Good luck against my Hawks this week, and may the best team win (I suspect it will be you, but I hope it will be a good match)!

 

[jackster83]

Ben Hart is the one for me that comes to mind when I think about players who made an immediate impact in defence when just starting out.

At only 5 games in, Max is also looking like a gun player and it's about time we got something out of the F/S rules.

Phil Davis looked pretty good as soon as he got called up into the AFL side also.

 

[GreyCrow]

Yep Phil Davis

1

Phil Davis

Age

35

Ht

197cm

Wt

94kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

13.0

3star

K

7.6

3star

HB

5.4

4star

M

5.2

5star

T

1.7

4star

MG

55.5

1star

D

8.5

2star

K

4.4

2star

HB

4.1

3star

M

3.4

3star

T

1.3

2star

MG

55.5

1star

D

14.0

4star

K

8.0

3star

HB

6.0

4star

M

5.8

5star

T

1.4

4star

also had this calmness to him

 

[spenze]

Might be worth seeing if Jim would put the saddle on one more time given his brother is tracking well

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

Phil Davis looked pretty good as soon as he got called up into the AFL side also.

Will Max get dropped this week?

 

[CrowsB4hoes]

Time heals all wounds so Jake Lever

8

Jake Lever

Age

29

Ht

194cm

Wt

94kg

Pos.

Def

Career

Season

Last 5

D

14.6

4star

K

9.7

4star

HB

4.9

4star

M

5.4

5star

T

1.3

3star

MG

242.0

4star

D

9.6

2star

K

6.5

3star

HB

3.1

2star

M

3.9

4star

T

1.3

2star

MG

145.4

3star

D

16.0

4star

K

11.0

4star

HB

5.0

4star

M

6.6

5star

T

1.6

4star

MG

189.8

4star

is another one who looked like a 200 gamer from his debut for us

 

[dogs105]

Time heals all wounds so Jake Lever is another one who looked like a 200 gamer from his debut for us

Who?

 

[MatthewB]

 

[Apsaalooke]

Yep Phil Davis also had this calmness to him

Didn’t Phil Davis get shirtfronted by Shane Mumford in his first year, similar to Michalanney by Marshall?

 

[jo172]

Davis was drafted in 2008 and didn't play at all in 2009

 

[Punchy Bassett]

Didn’t Phil Davis get shirtfronted by Shane Mumford in his first year, similar to Michalanney by Marshall?

Sandilands I'm pretty sure it was.

 

[MatthewB]

Sandilands I'm pretty sure it was.

 

[Sir Ronald Mac]

The GOAT

 

[VictorianCrow85]

Time heals all wounds so Jake Lever is another one who looked like a 200 gamer from his debut for us

Lever I think showed a bit more offensively straight up but I think Max has looked far better defensively. It could just be because a lot of time has passed but I'm more excited about Max than Lever (who is a very very good player & hurt to lose) off the first 5 games. Only real mistake I think Max made was against GWS & it was mostly a squibbed Dawson kick in than his fault.

 

[Punchy Bassett]

I remember crap like this but I can't remember my anniversary!

 

[StickerMan]

Lever I think showed a bit more offensively straight up but I think Max has looked far better defensively. It could just be because a lot of time has passed but I'm more excited about Max than Lever (who is a very very good player & hurt to lose) off the first 5 games. Only real mistake I think Max made was against GWS & it was mostly a squibbed Dawson kick in than his fault.

Lever was more third man/interceptor rather than defender.

Max is defender first and foremost, barely losing a one-on-one contest, as well as interceptor when the opportunity arises.

He is also quick on his feet and very skillful and composed with ball in hand.

I will put my hand up and say that I did not see this coming. I didn't hold out too much hope of him being any good when we drafted him and was certainly surprised when Sydney put the bid in as early as they did.

The Ben Hart comparisons are pretty spot on with a bit of Dylan Grimes about him but a more skillful version.

 

[beartoo]

Watched him in the SANFL finals and thought the kid had something special about him. Remember one run along the outer wing before lacing out a forward. Pleased when we got him.

On SM-A115F using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Drugs Are Bad Mackay?]

I'd seen none of Max prior to this season but assumed he'd be a skinny kid who'd need to bank a couple of preseasons before we saw him

Has taken to it like a duck to water

Credit to the coaches for throwing caution to the wind too and plonking him straight in. Hamill and MacPherson (and Jones I guess) were there as options

 

[VictorianCrow85]

Lever was more third man/interceptor rather than defender.

Max is defender first and foremost, barely losing a one-on-one contest, as well as interceptor when the opportunity arises.

He is also quick on his feet and very skillful and composed with ball in hand.

I will put my hand up and say that I did not see this coming. I didn't hold out too much hope of him being any good when we drafted him and was certainly surprised when Sydney put the bid in as early as they did.

The Ben Hart comparisons are pretty spot on with a bit of Dylan Grimes about him but a more skillful version.

Didn't he make the all australian team as a defender for his age group?

 

[VictorianCrow85]

I'd seen none of Max prior to this season but assumed he'd be a skinny kid who'd need to bank a couple of preseasons before we saw him

Has taken to it like a duck to water

Credit to the coaches for throwing caution to the wind too and plonking him straight in. Hamill and MacPherson (and Jones I guess) were there as options

Yeah the skinny part was the main issue, from everything I'd heard he could play but I didn't think he could come in as a skinny kid & have impact. Pretty amazing to watch.

 

[rocket18]

I'll never forget Lever being dropped for finals that year for absolutely no reason

And some of us still wonder why we had a player retention issue.

 

[StickerMan]

Didn't he make the all australian team as a defender for his age group?

I did notice that, however the limited vision I watched I didn't see anything 'outstanding'

Admittedly I didn't pay a lot of attention as thought he was just another skinny kid and he hadn't really dominated any level as such.

But, this is his special skill. He adapts to whatever level he plays and performs.

 

[jackster83]

I'd seen none of Max prior to this season but assumed he'd be a skinny kid who'd need to bank a couple of preseasons before we saw him

Has taken to it like a duck to water

Credit to the coaches for throwing caution to the wind too and plonking him straight in. Hamill and MacPherson (and Jones I guess) were there as options

Worrell getting injured opened the door for him.