"The Eski"

[swantastic]

It started at the Richmond game where Triple M Melbourne were doing the call.

James Brayshaw kept referring to him as "My man Malcho" (he claims a player in the 1st quarter of every match). Since Mal/Eski/Malcho was best on ground that day he certainly got plenty of airtime.

As Swantastic said earlier, the MMM boys interviewed him after the game and they asked him what he thought of the new nickname. He said he loved it (and you could tell that he did) and that he would try and get the other Swans boys to run with it.

If it's good enough for the man himself then surely it's good enough for Swantastic. My only beef would be with the spelling. (Too confusing for the uninitiated).

Spot on Claret,i even asked him at the kids day the other week about it and he just laughed and said

Did you hear that interview?Did i sound like a tool?and yeh i love the name "Melcho"

and i said

Yep i heard it,nope your a gun and i reckon the nickname "Melcho is cool.

and he was cracking up laughing.

[swantastic]

He is to be known wholely & solely as "Eski". Nobody calls him "Melcho" Swantastic!

MELCHO with a bullet like pass straight to Bazza's chest.The young fella does it again.

[TheMase]

I like the name Eski...

However, I don't really care what they call him. As long as he stays at the Swans. I have been watching the Swans for a long time and I don't remember many players at 30 games being as composed and developed as him.

Seriously, this kid is going to be a superstar. Get him in the midfield.

[giant]

That last pass to Micky O? OMG, how sublime was that? Finally someone who can live up to the RWO hype! While the BigFooty crowd can wet themselves over Heath Shaw & Gilbee (both very good footballers), I'll take this boy any time.

As for the midfield, he's way too important to us off the HBF - Nick & Tadhg are our springboards into attack. Putting them into the chaos that is our midfield would only blunt them.

[liz]

As for the midfield, he's way too important to us off the HBF - Nick & Tadhg are our springboards into attack. Putting them into the chaos that is our midfield would only blunt them.

It is a common cry from fans - not just of the Swans, from all clubs - that as soon as they get a good young player making the HBF his own, they want him moved into the midfield. Don't understand this obsession, when the HBF is ideally suited to the attributes of players like Kennelly and Malceski (and Shaw, Gilbee et al).

Unless a player is also exceptional at winning the contested ball, what is the point?

[NMWBloods]

My only issue on the midfield thing is do we need two HBFers of that type, or would be better served by 1 HBFer and 1 winger?

[liz]

My only issue on the midfield thing is do we need two HBFers of that type, or would be better served by 1 HBFer and 1 winger?

We also have Dempster, who I reckon could make an excellent wingman. He doesn't read the play as well and is nowhere near as creative, but as someone to receive the ball out wide, run and carry it, and then thump it long, Dempster looks ideal.

Plus the way O'Keefe plays HFF (and the way I think Davis could, fitness permitting) he is essentially a wingman anyway. In fact, I think we should stop pretending O'Keefe is a HFF and just accept he's a wingman, and think about another target up forward who stays put a bit more and provides a viable alternative target to Hall and O'Loughlin.

[liz]

Just watching Before the Game on Fox 1 and they (Mark Robinson and Jason Dunstall) have just declared Malceski as the most improved player in the comp.

They came up with an interesting (well, kind of interesting and definitely obscure) stat that Malceski has been involved in 64 goals where the opposition hasn't touched the ball throughout the build-up. That sounds like a lot given that the whole team has only scored 100 goals for the whole season. I guess what it does show is how many of Sydney's goal are coming via rebound from the backline and it is not surprising how many of those involve Malceski somewhere in the chain.

[Legs Akimbo]

Just watching Before the Game on Fox 1 and they (Mark Robinson and Jason Dunstall) have just declared Malceski as the most improved player in the comp.

They came up with an interesting (well, kind of interesting and definitely obscure) stat that Malceski has been involved in 64 goals where the opposition hasn't touched the ball throughout the build-up. That sounds like a lot given that the whole team has only scored 100 goals for the whole season. I guess what it does show is how many of Sydney's goal are coming via rebound from the backline and it is not surprising how many of those involve Malceski somewhere in the chain.

I am irked by 'most improved' vs. 'future star'.

[ugg]

The Eski love continues

Malceski heals past, sees future

I really like this stat, its almost unSwan-like.

This season he has had nearly 20 more effective kicks than any other Sydney player, with 96 of his 107 kicks going directly to a team-mate.

[is2SWaNz]

This season he has had nearly 20 more effective kicks than any other Sydney player, with 96 of his 107 kicks going directly to a team-mate.

That is an AMAZING stat. He's only played 20+ games and it seems like he's been playing for years.

[Nico]

One hell of a game today.

[cruiser]

I really do think that we are watching a future champion develop here.

[NMWBloods]

One of the particularly pleasing things of Malceski's game is he was able to have a major influence without his partner in crime, Kennelly.

[DeadlyAkkuret]

One of the particularly pleasing things of Malceski's game is he was able to have a major influence without his partner in crime, Kennelly.

I didn't see the game, i don't have Foxtel and 7 decided to show Melbourne instead How good was the Eski? and Goodes? and does the injury to Crouch look serious?