Mark Jamar – The Season That Was

Bartram_Class, possibly the last Melbourne fan left who hasn't cut his wrists, reports in with the latest chapter in our ruck dilemma.

A season that promised so much has so far returned very little for the Big Russian. With Jeff White skiing rather fast downhill, the time was ripe for the Big (and incredibly ugly) Russian to step up and make a name for himself as the Demons marched onwards to September.

5 rounds later, Jamar is being lambasted left, right and centre as the Demons sit rightfully on the bottom of the ladder with the wins column untouched apart from the weekly fucking over it gets from whoever we are playing.

Ah well hes only young I hear you say. Well actually hes 24 and has been in the system for 5/6 years and has pretty much nothing to show for it. His disposal is questionable at best, he has racked up 26 possessions so far this year (Sandilands is averaging 15-20 a game) and has failed to register 10 hit outs in a game.

On Saturday Night, Jamar had a stormer by his 2007 standards, 2 kicks, 1 mark and 1 hit-out in half a game of football. He also stamped his mark in the 3rd quarter when the Demons had a run on and the Russian was paid a free kick 30m out with no angle to speak of. Most will know all too well where the kick ended up but it was a shank Ben Holland would have been proud of.

Why persist with him? If only we knew, to be fair to Daniher, the alternatives aren’t much better. White is looking decidedly greyer with each game and has lost the mobility and leap that made him an All-Australian not too long ago. Paul Johnson is pre-historic in his movement and resorts to crumbing off the taller players, despite being 200cm and 100kg. White is now 30 and will move on either this year or next and leave us rooted unless one of the two come on and come on quick. With 17 losses left this year, I’m not holding out much hope for B1 and B2.

I think its time, Bring Back the Shrek.