I am currently writing a summary for every club. Melbourne is the 9th club which I have completed. There may be spelling or grammar errors due to me only being 14. Hope you enjoy it.
Melbourne Demons
The Demons have had two seasons which they would rather forget. They have failed to participate in the finals in both seasons; nevertheless, they are on their way up. The demons have managed to put together a fairly solid young list. The list is phenomenally improving due to the recruitments of Jack Grimes, Cale Morton, Addam Marric, Austin Wonaeamirri, Shane Valenti, Jack Watts, Sam Blease, James Strauss, Neville Jetta and Liam Jurrah. Opposition supporters tend to only focus on the negatives rather than actually reviewing the list. Melbourne may take a couple more seasons, however when they fully rebuild, the signs look extremely promising.
B: Colin Garland - Stefan Martin - Matthew Whelan
HB: Paul Wheatley - Jared Rivers - Simon Buckley
C: Colin Sylvia - Brock McLean - Cale Morton
HF: Matthew Bate - Brad Miller - Brad Green
F: Aaron Davey - Russell Robertson - Austin Wonaeamirri
R: Paul Johnson - Cameron Bruce - Nathan Jones
I/C: Mark Jamar - Brent Moloney – Addam Maric - James McDonald
Matthew Whelan – Matthew is definitely in the teams best 22. His toughness mixed with the determination which he possesses allows Matthew to be an extremely successful back pocket footballer. He must attempt to avoid his injuries due to the great contribution which he provides for the team.
Stefan Martin – Stefan has stepped into the team well and already secured a spot. He is extremely versatile for someone who is 198cm tall. He has reasonably good pace with an awesome football brain. If he continues to improve, he will hold this position for a while.
Colin Garland – Colin has the ability to play tall and small due to his athleticism. He has shut down many stars of the AFL in the 19 games of his short career. Colin is an absolute gem for the club and will be Martin’s partner in crime for a while.
Simon Buckley – After Buckley’s impressive 2008, he has certainly locked himself into the team. I placed Simon across the back half due to his running capabilities and his 190cm height. Simon managed to average a staggering amount of 21 disposals per game. He is still fairly young, which means he still has plenty of room left for improvement.
Jared Rivers – Jared is another footballer who continuously gets wounded. If he has the ability to stay on the field, there is no doubting his ability. He shuts down his opponents extremely well and sets up play.
Paul Wheatley – Paul continuously racks up possessions, however he doesn’t utilize them very well. His decision making is questionable and so is his disposal. If he improves these major issues, he may turn out to be an extremely successful footballer.
Cale Morton – Cale had a tremendous debut season where he averaged 18 disposals in an unsuccessful team. His decision making can let him down at times, however he looks a to be a successful footballer.
Brock McLean – Brock only participated in 14 matches due to damage in his ankle ligaments. He is one of the most essential footballers for the club, thus he must stay on the field. Brock averaged 24 disposals in the games that he played in and he generally utilized them effectively. He has great in and under skills and feeds his runners such as Morton and Buckley
Colin Sylvia – Colin as a forward has not worked out very well. In his 18 games, he has only managed to boot 16 goals. Moving him to the midfield may assist him in exemplifying his skills to its highest rate. Colin has the ability to set up play by utilizing his wonderful awareness.
Brad Green – Brad performs well on a regular basis which is required for a struggling team. It is time for Green to push up to the half forward line to be a link man. One of Melbourne’s severe issues is their ability to get a target up forward. By passing it to Brad on the half forward flank, he will definitely set up goals.
Brad Miller – In 2008, Brad began to get back into his good form that he displayed in his early days. Miller has a great kick for goal and continuously presents. When the team improves, expect Brad to lift as well. He may be one who may not do too well in a struggling side.
Matthew Bate – Matthew is more suited for a half forward role due to his endurance and running capabilities. Centre Half Forward is not really his position due to his skinny frame. He will obviously continue to improve and must do so fast or else he will be replaced.
Austin Wonaeamirri – Austin had an amazing debut season and has secured a spot in the side. He provides much needed pressure and he kicks goals. He literally won Melbourne a game against Fremantle. Austin is still extremely young and has plenty of room for development.
Russell Robertson – Russell is the club’s best goal kicker without a doubt. He endlessly takes wonderful marks. He plays much taller than he actually is and is extremely hard to match up on. He is certainly a crucial member of the team.
Aaron Davey – Aaron is another who provides great pressure in the forward 50. He possesses exhilarating pace and regularly kicks goals. He can have stints in the midfield and provide essential clearances for the team. Aaron is one of the best quick small forwards in the AFL.
Paul Johnson – Paul Johnson had his greatest season in 2008 and took over Jeff White’s role as the number one ruckman. Paul is not a great ruckman; however he is fairly solid and gives his best each game. He needs to begin to average more than 9 hit outs per game and do more around the ground.
Cameron Bruce – Cameron is Melbourne’s top midfielder who has great ball winning ability. He managed to average 24 disposals, 4 tackles and a staggering 7 marks per game. Cameron is more suited as an inside midfielder rather than a tagger and hopefully Dean Bailey takes note of that.
Nathan Jones – Nathan has tremendous potential, however he must pass with flying colors on a regular basis. Nathan got dropped due to his inconsistency and hopefully for his sake, he learns from it. Nathan wins masses of the ball but he occasionally fails to utilities the ball to the best of his abilities.
Mark Jamar – Mark is tremendous in the rockwork but doesn’t thrive around the ground. He may need to push forward more often and cause a hazard up forward.
Brent Moloney – Brent may fall to an injury, however he is still an integral member and undoubtedly in the best 22. If he can be capable of hang about with no injuries, he may indeed prove himself to the AFL word. Brent tackles well and racks masses of possessions but from time to time his disposal can be terrible.
Addam Maric – Addam looks a likely type in the games that he participated in. He is fairly short, but bases his game like a tall. He leads well and takes several marks per game. He needs more experience him in hope of improvement.
James McDonald – James surprisingly found himself struggling to find a spot in the team after he was omitted from the team. This may be his final season meaning that he will try his heart out attempting to finish his career on a fine note.
Defense Summary – The defense is currently inexperience, however it will only improve. Garland, Martin and Rivers are a great combination of talls. Rivers is fairly experienced, but fails to stay on the field regularly. Martin and Garland displayed their amazing talent and proved to the AFL world that they are more than capable of holding a vital position in the backline. Wheatley and Buckley provide run off the half back, while Whelan takes the medium/small defenders.
Midfield Summary – The midfield is mixed with experience and youth. Jones, Bruce and McLean provide the ball to Morton and other runners who should eventually get it into the forward 50. Strauss and Blease will be pushing for selection in a couple of years two. The midfield has reasonable depth and must excel on a regular basis.
Forward Summary – A this point in time, the small forwards look brilliant. Davey, Wonaeamirri, Green and Maric are all capable of kicking goals. Robertson is not really a full forward, but will be getting the position warmed up for Jack Watts. Newton needs to show more to secure a spot in the team. Miller has always had potential, but hasn’t been able to utilize it to its greatest. Don’t be surprised if Neville Jetta is quick to make an impact in 2009 too.
Overall I see Melbourne ending their season campaign in the bottom three in 2009. It is going to take a while to fully develop their young list. Once they do, the demons will definitely be up in the top quarter of the ladder.
Melbourne Demons
The Demons have had two seasons which they would rather forget. They have failed to participate in the finals in both seasons; nevertheless, they are on their way up. The demons have managed to put together a fairly solid young list. The list is phenomenally improving due to the recruitments of Jack Grimes, Cale Morton, Addam Marric, Austin Wonaeamirri, Shane Valenti, Jack Watts, Sam Blease, James Strauss, Neville Jetta and Liam Jurrah. Opposition supporters tend to only focus on the negatives rather than actually reviewing the list. Melbourne may take a couple more seasons, however when they fully rebuild, the signs look extremely promising.
B: Colin Garland - Stefan Martin - Matthew Whelan
HB: Paul Wheatley - Jared Rivers - Simon Buckley
C: Colin Sylvia - Brock McLean - Cale Morton
HF: Matthew Bate - Brad Miller - Brad Green
F: Aaron Davey - Russell Robertson - Austin Wonaeamirri
R: Paul Johnson - Cameron Bruce - Nathan Jones
I/C: Mark Jamar - Brent Moloney – Addam Maric - James McDonald
Matthew Whelan – Matthew is definitely in the teams best 22. His toughness mixed with the determination which he possesses allows Matthew to be an extremely successful back pocket footballer. He must attempt to avoid his injuries due to the great contribution which he provides for the team.
Stefan Martin – Stefan has stepped into the team well and already secured a spot. He is extremely versatile for someone who is 198cm tall. He has reasonably good pace with an awesome football brain. If he continues to improve, he will hold this position for a while.
Colin Garland – Colin has the ability to play tall and small due to his athleticism. He has shut down many stars of the AFL in the 19 games of his short career. Colin is an absolute gem for the club and will be Martin’s partner in crime for a while.
Simon Buckley – After Buckley’s impressive 2008, he has certainly locked himself into the team. I placed Simon across the back half due to his running capabilities and his 190cm height. Simon managed to average a staggering amount of 21 disposals per game. He is still fairly young, which means he still has plenty of room left for improvement.
Jared Rivers – Jared is another footballer who continuously gets wounded. If he has the ability to stay on the field, there is no doubting his ability. He shuts down his opponents extremely well and sets up play.
Paul Wheatley – Paul continuously racks up possessions, however he doesn’t utilize them very well. His decision making is questionable and so is his disposal. If he improves these major issues, he may turn out to be an extremely successful footballer.
Cale Morton – Cale had a tremendous debut season where he averaged 18 disposals in an unsuccessful team. His decision making can let him down at times, however he looks a to be a successful footballer.
Brock McLean – Brock only participated in 14 matches due to damage in his ankle ligaments. He is one of the most essential footballers for the club, thus he must stay on the field. Brock averaged 24 disposals in the games that he played in and he generally utilized them effectively. He has great in and under skills and feeds his runners such as Morton and Buckley
Colin Sylvia – Colin as a forward has not worked out very well. In his 18 games, he has only managed to boot 16 goals. Moving him to the midfield may assist him in exemplifying his skills to its highest rate. Colin has the ability to set up play by utilizing his wonderful awareness.
Brad Green – Brad performs well on a regular basis which is required for a struggling team. It is time for Green to push up to the half forward line to be a link man. One of Melbourne’s severe issues is their ability to get a target up forward. By passing it to Brad on the half forward flank, he will definitely set up goals.
Brad Miller – In 2008, Brad began to get back into his good form that he displayed in his early days. Miller has a great kick for goal and continuously presents. When the team improves, expect Brad to lift as well. He may be one who may not do too well in a struggling side.
Matthew Bate – Matthew is more suited for a half forward role due to his endurance and running capabilities. Centre Half Forward is not really his position due to his skinny frame. He will obviously continue to improve and must do so fast or else he will be replaced.
Austin Wonaeamirri – Austin had an amazing debut season and has secured a spot in the side. He provides much needed pressure and he kicks goals. He literally won Melbourne a game against Fremantle. Austin is still extremely young and has plenty of room for development.
Russell Robertson – Russell is the club’s best goal kicker without a doubt. He endlessly takes wonderful marks. He plays much taller than he actually is and is extremely hard to match up on. He is certainly a crucial member of the team.
Aaron Davey – Aaron is another who provides great pressure in the forward 50. He possesses exhilarating pace and regularly kicks goals. He can have stints in the midfield and provide essential clearances for the team. Aaron is one of the best quick small forwards in the AFL.
Paul Johnson – Paul Johnson had his greatest season in 2008 and took over Jeff White’s role as the number one ruckman. Paul is not a great ruckman; however he is fairly solid and gives his best each game. He needs to begin to average more than 9 hit outs per game and do more around the ground.
Cameron Bruce – Cameron is Melbourne’s top midfielder who has great ball winning ability. He managed to average 24 disposals, 4 tackles and a staggering 7 marks per game. Cameron is more suited as an inside midfielder rather than a tagger and hopefully Dean Bailey takes note of that.
Nathan Jones – Nathan has tremendous potential, however he must pass with flying colors on a regular basis. Nathan got dropped due to his inconsistency and hopefully for his sake, he learns from it. Nathan wins masses of the ball but he occasionally fails to utilities the ball to the best of his abilities.
Mark Jamar – Mark is tremendous in the rockwork but doesn’t thrive around the ground. He may need to push forward more often and cause a hazard up forward.
Brent Moloney – Brent may fall to an injury, however he is still an integral member and undoubtedly in the best 22. If he can be capable of hang about with no injuries, he may indeed prove himself to the AFL word. Brent tackles well and racks masses of possessions but from time to time his disposal can be terrible.
Addam Maric – Addam looks a likely type in the games that he participated in. He is fairly short, but bases his game like a tall. He leads well and takes several marks per game. He needs more experience him in hope of improvement.
James McDonald – James surprisingly found himself struggling to find a spot in the team after he was omitted from the team. This may be his final season meaning that he will try his heart out attempting to finish his career on a fine note.
Defense Summary – The defense is currently inexperience, however it will only improve. Garland, Martin and Rivers are a great combination of talls. Rivers is fairly experienced, but fails to stay on the field regularly. Martin and Garland displayed their amazing talent and proved to the AFL world that they are more than capable of holding a vital position in the backline. Wheatley and Buckley provide run off the half back, while Whelan takes the medium/small defenders.
Midfield Summary – The midfield is mixed with experience and youth. Jones, Bruce and McLean provide the ball to Morton and other runners who should eventually get it into the forward 50. Strauss and Blease will be pushing for selection in a couple of years two. The midfield has reasonable depth and must excel on a regular basis.
Forward Summary – A this point in time, the small forwards look brilliant. Davey, Wonaeamirri, Green and Maric are all capable of kicking goals. Robertson is not really a full forward, but will be getting the position warmed up for Jack Watts. Newton needs to show more to secure a spot in the team. Miller has always had potential, but hasn’t been able to utilize it to its greatest. Don’t be surprised if Neville Jetta is quick to make an impact in 2009 too.
Overall I see Melbourne ending their season campaign in the bottom three in 2009. It is going to take a while to fully develop their young list. Once they do, the demons will definitely be up in the top quarter of the ladder.
