Melbourne Discussion

[Big Mac]

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2015-02-01/demons-most-important

AFL pls. How can you compare a player who hasn't played an AFL game with the spiritual leader of the club?

This kid is a dead-set gun, but really really hope this external "Watts-like" pressure doesn't become too much.

Hogan would have had several chats with Roos and would know exactly what is expected of him. I'm sure he'll be fine.

That guy must have been pretty desperate for a story though. Any of us could have whipped that shower up in 15 minutes

[Purple 77]

Probably a better comparison would have been Jones v Dawes.

Dawes has his haters, but gee, Melbourne would be in all-sorts without him.

Having said that, Jones by a mile.

[Kellogscrunchynut]

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2015-02-01/demons-most-important

AFL pls. How can you compare a player who hasn't played an AFL game with the spiritual leader of the club?

afl.com in a nutshell.

[Ricochet]

http://www.afl.com.au/news/2015-02-03/jones-goes-solo

Jones flying solo as Demons' captain in 2015

MELBOURNE midfielder Nathan Jones will be the Demons' sole captain in 2015.

The 27-year-old will handle the responsibility on his own after sharing the captaincy duties with Jack Grimes in 2014.

Former Collingwood defender Heritier Lumumba is a surprise choice for the club's leadership group, which also includes Grimes, Lynden Dunn, Daniel Cross and Chris Dawes.

Grimes stood down as co-captain in the pre-season to concentrate on his football.

Jones' deputy will be experienced defender Dunn, who becomes vice-captain for the first time.

He was in the club's leadership group last season.

Jones has won three consecutive best and fairest awards with the Demons, but has played in just two finals in his 179 game-career.

He extended his contract in December for four more seasons, tying him to the Demons until the end of 2019.

Dunn, 27, was added to the club's leadership group early in the 2014 season after Mitch Clark retired and has been a solid performer in the past three seasons, finishing inside the top 10 in the club's best and fairest each year.

Missing from last season's leadership group are Colin Garland, Jack Trengove, Mitch Clark and James Frawley.

[Noz]

Hogan is the most important player for the Melbourne football club here is why i think so:

- No one on the current Melbourne list has the capability of winning the game of their own boot. Apart from Hogan.

- Hogan is the only one on the list that looks like kicking multiple goals each week.

- Hogan is the man to bring them back up the ladder

Nathan Jones is there best player but is he their most important? No. Midfielders are a dime a dozen, A player like Jesse Hogan comes along once every 5 years. He kicked 39 goals in his first season in the VFL and won the Scorpions best and fairest from only playing 15 games. He averaged 6 marks a game. Hogan has all the talent and potential to be one of the best key forwards in the AFL.

[Purple 77]

Don't really see anyone come close to being the spiritual leader that Nathan Jones is, so it makes sense he is the soul captain. I love you Jonesy!


Well done to Dunn though! Completes a massive turnaround for him  :D

Bit unlucky to Garland... I'd probably have him over Lumumba, but whatevs.

I love how 3 out of 6 players in our leadership group were playing elsewhere 3 years ago  ::)  :P

[Mailman the 2nd]

Colin Sylvia/Brent Moloney's football career after leaving Melbourne has given me huge insight on the club's state. I mean these were pretty much the two most experienced leaders of the club who were just lazy jackasses

[nrich102]

I wouldn't call Brent Moloneys time at Brisbane a failure, was pretty good when he played. Injuries and stuff like that caught up with him though  :(

[Mailman the 2nd]

I wouldn't call Brent Moloneys time at Brisbane a failure, was pretty good when he played. Injuries and stuff like that caught up with him though  :(

In 2014 he was fine until the end of the season and Leppa chose not to play him at all beyond 5 games. It's staggering to think that a player who managed to go 500 diposals in a season twice got to a point where in one of the most inexperienced teams in Brisbane he doesn't even thought of.

[Ringo]

I wouldn't call Brent Moloneys time at Brisbane a failure, was pretty good when he played. Injuries and stuff like that caught up with him though  :(

In 2014 he was fine until the end of the season and Leppa chose not to play him at all beyond 5 games. It's staggering to think that a player who managed to go 500 diposals in a season twice got to a point where in one of the most inexperienced teams in Brisbane he doesn't even thought of.

Moloney had serious foot injuries which hindered him in 2014 forcing him to retire so i would not consider him a failure especially after his efforts in 2013.  Was instrumental in mentoring Mayes and Aish as well.  Unlike Sylvia he immersed himslef in the club and mentored young ones.

[Purple 77]

Colin Sylvia/Brent Moloney's football career after leaving Melbourne has given me huge insight on the club's state. I mean these were pretty much the two most experienced leaders of the club who were just lazy jackasses

What the club state was, totally agree.

One of the major concerns under the Dean Bailey era, was that they were teaching players to play in 'bursts', and really endurance/fitness levels suffered IMO.

I actually think this was one of the handful of good things Neeld did, was to start to get the players fitness at an AFL standard. Dave Misson came on at pretty much the same time, and he is still with us, and I reckon he is largely responsible for getting our fitness back to AFL standard.

Should also note Moloney/Sylvia left during the Neeld tenure.

I just hope that the recent news of Sylvia doesn't make everyone think Melbourne has poor fitness standards currently, which I really think is good now.

[Mailman the 2nd]

I wouldn't call Brent Moloneys time at Brisbane a failure, was pretty good when he played. Injuries and stuff like that caught up with him though  :(

In 2014 he was fine until the end of the season and Leppa chose not to play him at all beyond 5 games. It's staggering to think that a player who managed to go 500 diposals in a season twice got to a point where in one of the most inexperienced teams in Brisbane he doesn't even thought of.

Moloney had serious foot injuries which hindered him in 2014 forcing him to retire so i would not consider him a failure especially after his efforts in 2013.  Was instrumental in mentoring Mayes and Aish as well.  Unlike Sylvia he immersed himslef in the club and mentored young ones.

Yes he had a major achilles injury, but he was dropped well before for "team balance" issues http://www.afl.com.au/news/2014-05-01/moloney-still-in-the-mix   (note: that was his last ever game)

Colin Sylvia/Brent Moloney's football career after leaving Melbourne has given me huge insight on the club's state. I mean these were pretty much the two most experienced leaders of the club who were just lazy jackasses

What the club state was, totally agree.

One of the major concerns under the Dean Bailey era, was that they were teaching players to play in 'bursts', and really endurance/fitness levels suffered IMO.

I actually think this was one of the handful of good things Neeld did, was to start to get the players fitness at an AFL standard. Dave Misson came on at pretty much the same time, and he is still with us, and I reckon he is largely responsible for getting our fitness back to AFL standard.

Should also note Moloney/Sylvia left during the Neeld tenure.

I just hope that the recent news of Sylvia doesn't make everyone think Melbourne has poor fitness standards currently, which I really think is good now.

Yeah definitely past tense, although you could maybe argue (not that I would) that fitness played a part in Melbourne's 2nd half of 2014.

I'm sure Roo's wouldn't have played Colin Sylvia at all had he seen him in that state.

[Purple 77]

Yeah definitely past tense, although you could maybe argue (not that I would) that fitness played a part in Melbourne's 2nd half of 2014.

I'm sure Roo's wouldn't have played Colin Sylvia at all had he seen him in that state.

Fair call, and lack of fitness definitely did, but I would pin that on having only a dozen players start Roos' first pre-season fit, and many injuries over the first pre-season.

I read recently that Roos reckons each player needed to complete 25 training sessions prior to the start of practice matches, to be adequately prepared for the NAB Challenge. Only 25 players achieved that last year, we already have 38 complete that this year.

[JBs-Hawks]

Moloney played some good footy in Brisbane, I wouldnt put him in the same category as Sylvia.

[kilbluff1985]

Moloney played some good footy in Brisbane, I wouldnt put him in the same category as Sylvia.