RFA - Brent Moloney

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Brent Moloney 2011 Review

Games – 22 (First ever full season).
Subbed off - Once.
B&F - 227 votes. First.
Brownlow votes - 19 (Personal Best).
DT - 88 avg.
SC - 99.2 avg (Personal Best).

“It was the best of times, it was the blurst of times.”

Beamer’s season is well summed up by that monkey with a typewriter, cigarette and manacle. Will it be remembered for his best or his blurst?

All Melbourne fans wanted to see a full, injury-free season from Beamer for the first time. We wanted to see him continue to shark Mark Jamar hit outs like nobody else, and we wanted to see him continue to be a strong and popular leader to the young squad, especially after Junior McDonald’s controversial sacking at the end of 2010.

He started strongly against Sydney in a round one draw, being our best player. Things were looking golden against Brisbane in round 3, with Beamer notching up what was to be a season high 36 touches.

Then he got drunk, and it was reported he pissed on a bar. But he didn’t. But he was demoted from vice-captain anyway. But he was remoted* to vice-captain again two months later. "Awesomesauce," we all said! He is our best leader, whether or not it is official.

In those two months he had plenty of strong performances, including an epic 19 clearance game against Adelaide and putting the exclamation point on our best win for the year, against Essendon.

Beamer kept rolling on in his own style, roving hit outs, tackling more than ever before and getting dirty in the clinches until the brick wall that was 186. In a game where no Demon could hold their head high Beamer was unceremoniously given the red vest at half time with a row of bagels next to his name. This truly was the blurst of times. But the fan favourite bounced back from this shocker to finish the season strongly, and was one of the only Demons to give a s**t against Port in the final round, registering his fifth BOG in the Brownlow and easily leading the club tally with 19 votes.

In 2011 he confirmed his status as one of the best players in the competition when it comes to roving hit outs, whether from Mark Jamar or Stefan Martin. Beamer proved to be a vital player and barometer for the Demons; our on field fortunes often mirrored the on-baller. He averaged 9 more touches when the Dees won than when we lost. For the first time in three years Beamer kicked more than he handballed, but it was not the mindless blazing away we used to see when he first came to the Dees. His marking tally dropped as he received more opposition attention and found he had to work harder for his possessions; this was a mark of respect from the opposition midfields.

Beamer’s first full season was rewarded with his first Keith “Bluey” Truscott Trophy. His speech was eagerly anticipated by fans after he had given Brock Mclean a verbal slap in 2009, but he ignored He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named and kept his message for those still in red and blue. He expressed his belief that our culture needed to be stronger, confirmed his desire to play in September, thanked the Russian for tapping the pill down his throat each week and singled out Col Sylvia as someone who did not live up to his potential in 2011.

So will 2011 be remembered for the best or blurst of Brent Moloney? Will it be remembered for (not) pissing on a bar or for winning the Best and Fairest? Will it be remembered for not registering a stat and being subbed during 186 or for otherwise being one of our most consistent players and strongest leaders?

Your name doesn’t go on an honour board for drinking, your name goes on an honour board for achieving.

You don’t get trophies for when you fail, you get trophies for when you succeed.

To get a trophy in a team sport, you need to succeed a lot. And in 2011, Brent Moloney had many achievements and successes.

May he march onwards and upwards in 2012, continue his dominating partnership with Mark Jamar, keep sharing his passion for the Red and Blue with the new recruits and confirm his place as a true leader at the Melbourne Football Club.


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*Shakespeare invented 1700 words and now BSB has invented one word. I’m on my way.[/QUOTE]
 
Look out for Beamer and Jobe Watson near the top of the Brownlow next year depending on injuries and team form.
Almost a good shout CJ!

Beamer is now committed to moving interstate to revive his career.
 

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Brent Moloney 2012 Review

Games: 15
Subbed on: 1
Subbed off: 1
B&F: 21st
Brownlow votes: 0
DT: 60
SC: 67

Disgusting.

How else to describe Moloney’s “efforts” in 2012?

When it was announced that Brad Green would not be captain of Melbourne in 2012, many supporters, including this one, saw Moloney as the front-runner for the job. He said all the right things, seemed to have an active leadership role off field, seemed to bleed red and blue and had just finished his best ever season, winning the B&F in the process. So when the Jack’s were announced as co-captains, and Moloney was not even in the leadership group, it was surprising and disappointing. However Moloney then proceeded to deliver one of the more pea-hearted seasons in memory, appearing to have a big sook and not buying in to the new coach’s program. He proved that Neeld got it right, and that behind the tattoos was just another soft as butter front-runner wearing the red and blue jumper.

Moloney’s 2012 delivered less kicks, handballs, disposals, marks, tackles, goals and free kicks per game compared to 2011. He did register more hitouts and free kicks against, so look out Cox and Naitanui. His best performance came against Essendon, with 23 disposals, plenty of inside 50’s and a goal in the Dees annual demolition of the Dons. However there were a lot more lows than highs, starting with an insipid 13 disposal “effort” against Brisbane in round 1, and finishing with 10 touches against St Kilda in round 20 before being given the red vest at three quarter time. He would not play for Melbourne again and finished the season at Casey.

During the season Moloney’s agent announced that his client would be “testing his worth” during free agency and the season was barely over before Moloney announced that he would be looking for a new home via free agency, and the Club quickly assured supporters that they would not match any offer for Moloney. For a period it seemed like there was a chance he would not even get picked up, before Brisbane snagged him, and judging by the compensation Melbourne received, they got him very cheaply.

It is hard to properly express the disappointment and confusion over Moloney’s fall from grace at Melbourne. He had been a fan favourite for a while due to his bustling, no-nonsense contested game and his apparent off-field leadership qualities. Has the veneer of a player ever been peeled back quite so thoroughly as in 2012? We all remember his harsh send off for Mclean at the 2009 B&F, and it is now strongly suspected that Moloney has joined Mclean and is one of the “unnamed” leaking about the tanking allegations. If this were true, it would just compound the disappointment the fans feel towards Moloney.

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