WITH the New Year here, melbournefc.com.au takes a look at each player’s key stats entering 2016, as coach Paul Roos provides a pre-season update on every squad member. Be sure to check back each day on melbournefc.com.au, as we present all 45 players in the first half of January …
JACK WATTS – No.4
Date of birth: 26/3/1991 (24 years old)
Height: 196cm, Weight: 92kg
AFL debut: 2009
AFL games: 115, AFL goals: 83
Position: Forward
Recruited: East Sandringham (Vic)/Brighton Grammar (Vic)/Sandringham Dragons (Vic)
Drafted: 2008 NAB AFL Draft (No.1)
“I’ve been really impressed with the way Wattsy has come back. Last year, he had a bit of an interrupted pre-season. He has slight injuries, including a groin, which held him out. He ran a really good three-km time-trial and has been training really well.” – Paul Roos
SAM WEIDEMAN – No.26
Date of birth: 26/6/1997 (18 years old)
Height: 195cm, Weight: 94kg
AFL debut: yet to debut
AFL games: 0, AFL goals: 0
Position: Key forward
Recruited: Vermont (Vic)/Xavier College (Vic)/Eastern Ranges (Vic)
Drafted: 2015 NAB AFL Draft (No.9)
“Sam’s had a lot of injuries over the last few years and we knew that when we drafted him. He’s got a young body, because he hasn’t been able to do a lot of running or play a lot of footy or do a lot of weights. But when you see him out on the track, you see the level of talent he’s got. For us, the next two months is about making sure his body is in really good shape – in order to train as an AFL player and then hopefully he plays over the next couple of years. Again, there is no pressure on him like those other young guys.” – Paul Roos
MITCHELL WHITE – No.41
Date of birth: 10/4/1996 (19 years old)
Height: 188cm, Weight: 88kg
AFL debut: 2015
AFL games: 1, AFL goals: 0
Position: Defender
Recruited: Seaford (VIC)/Dandenong Stingrays (VIC)
Drafted: 2014/15 NAB AFL Rookie Draft (No.20)
“Now in his second season, Mitch has been training really well and has been doing all the sessions. He finished off the 2015 season well and played the last game in our win over GWS. He’s still got a lot to learn and still needs to evolve as a player, but he’s been good so far.” – Paul Roos
