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 …
LYNDEN DUNN – No.14
Date of birth: 14/5/1987 (28 years old)
Height: 192cm, Weight: 99kg
AFL debut: 2006
AFL games: 161 AFL goals: 96
Position: Key defender
Recruited: Moonee Valley (Vic)/Calder Cannons (Vic)
Drafted: 2004 NAB AFL Draft (No.15)
Honours: Melbourne vice-captain 2015
“Dunny has come back in really good shape and he made a statement to the rest of the group when he arrived back at pre-season, having dropped some weight. He ran really well in our three-km time-trial and he’s been training very well.” – Paul Roos
SAM FROST – No.17
Date of birth: 28/8/1993 (22 years old)
Height: 194cm, Weight: 93kg
AFL debut: 2012, MFC debut: 2015
AFL games: 24 (GWS Giants 21, Melbourne 3), AFL goals: 2 (GWS Giants 2, Melbourne 0)
Position: Key defender/forward/ruckman
Recruited: Ormond (Vic)/Wesley College (Vic)/Sandringham Dragons (Vic)/GWS Giants
Drafted: 2012 NAB AFL Rookie Draft (No.1); 2012 NAB AFL Draft rookie elevation (No.83); 2014 NAB AFL Draft traded by GWS Giants for No.23 (Pat McKenna)
“Frosty has had a hiccup again with his foot, so with Sam it’s just about his training loads and trying to get that right. We’ve seen when he’s on the park, he has explosive pace for a player of his size. He can play forward/ruck and we also think he can play down back. So it’s just a matter of getting the balance right – getting his training right and getting him fit for the season.” – Paul Roos
JEFF GARLETT – No.36
Date of birth: 3/8/1989 (26 years old)
Height: 180cm, Weight: 75kg
AFL debut: 2007, MFC debut: 2015
AFL games: 129 (Carlton 107, Melbourne 22), AFL goals: 16 (Carlton 183, Melbourne 40)
Position: Small forward
Recruited: Burracoppin (WA)/South Fremantle (WA)/Carlton
Drafted: 2009 NAB AFL Rookie Draft (No.6); NAB AFL Rookie Draft elevation (No.85); 2014 NAB AFL Draft traded by Carlton and No.60 (Clem Smith) and No.71 (not utilised)
Honours: Carlton leading goalkicker 2013; NAB AFL Rising Star nominee 2010
“Jeff came back a little bit underdone and it was similar to last year. He normally does a lot of boxing, but with a finger problem, he wasn’t able to do any boxing. So we’re just getting him back up running and he’s one that we all believe can go to another level again in 2016, as we all saw what an impact player he was in 2015.” – Paul Roos
