• UP THE MONS!!!!

• Third straight top 4 finish.

• Great character shown by the team to win despite the opposition being desperate to win to secure a home final, and with us being hit by injuries during the game.

• Rooey kicks one goal, with the return of Bayley Fritsch the highlight of our forward line this week.

• JvR also covers a fair bit of the rucking for Max, finishing with 15 hit outs. For comparison, the Swans ruckman Hickey only had 17 and he rucked almost the whole game!

• This is very much an AFL career high hit out count, with his next best 7 (twice).

• I think Jacob's contribution in allowing Max to rest and us not having to play two dedicated ruckman has been under-valued this season.

• JvR also lays 4 tackles and wins a clearance.

• Now onto the Qualifying Final against the Pies at the MCG in about 10-11 days time.

• Bring it on, we cannot wait to see the Big Roo in action in his first finals series!

Photo credit: Matt King / AFL Photos

• JvR kicks three goals, kicking accurately and in clutch moments when we really needed him.

• He's in yet another different forward line mix this week, largely working alongside Melksham and Joel Smith, and even Josh Schache for a bit late in the game.

• Jacob also helps Max out in the ruck, with no second ruckman in the team this week.

• Top 4 locked in, will never take this kind of success for granted after what we have been through as a supporter group! 

Photo credit: Dylan Burns / AFL Photos

• A road trip to Tassie and our fifth win in a row, albeit after a slow start to the game.

• JvR kicks a really important, long, set shot goal just on half time to bring us right back in the game. He also kicks another later, finishing with 2.2.

• He also covers for Max a fair bit in the ruck again, winning 7 hit outs and importantly allowing Gawny a decent rest in the final quarter.

• Unselfishly passes off to Kade Chandler instead of kicking another goal himself too. Two goal assists is the equal highest on the ground.

Photo credit: Daniel Pockett / Getty Images via 

• Jacob sparks the Dees in the first quarter, taking two screamers .

• Converts one of these great marks into a goal.

• Excellent support to Max Gawn in the ruck again, and roams out of the forward line to provide a target up the ground regularly .

• JvR kicks 1.1, takes 5 marks, has 5 hit outs and a tackle, 10 disposals, only 60% time on ground

Photo credit: Graham Denholm/AFL Photos via Getty Images

• JvR inexplicably not recalled to the seniors despite an excellent game for Casey the previous week.

• Dees selection a Roo short in the top paddock...

• But moving on to the Casey game:

• Jacob kicks 1.1 but is on the bench for the whole fourth quarter.

• Hoped at the time that meant he was likely to be recalled to the Dees the next week.

• Lays 5 tackles in 3 quarters.

• Wasn't great entries into the forward line by Casey, so not a lot of opportunities.

• Was named emergency for the Dees game against the Saints the night before.

Photo credit: Adam McFarlane, via Casey Media

• The goal a game streak continues.

• Jacob contributes with 3 marks, 5 hitouts and 3 tackles to go with his goal.

• The Roo chant finds its way down the highway to Geelong - Video here

Photo credit: Dylan Burns / AFL Photos

• Jacob announced as the Round 12 Rising Star Nomination! Very well deserved. Congrats!

• So good to see JvR getting some recognition for how awesome the start to his AFL career has been.

• Interview with Cal Twomey of AFL Media about his nomination here

• Watch Gus & Gawny break the news to Rooey here

• Our boy is still keeping his streak going of kicking a goal every single game he's played.

• This was a frustrating loss for the Dees, but Jacob contributed by not only kicking an important goal but also took 4 marks.

Photo credit Daniel Pockett / AFL Photos

• Jacob kicks a goal and takes 5 marks.

• Also has 4 score involvements and 3 Inside-50's.

• Good response after being the focus of the media all the previous week due to MRP shenanigans.

Photo credit Darrian Traynor / AFL Photos

• Rooey kicks another goal, takes 3 marks and lays 3 tackles.

• Goes at 100% Disposal Efficiency.

• We inflict North's biggest losing margin of the season, and this is our 4th 100+ score.

Photo credit: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images

• Roo kicks one goal.

• Also has 4 score involvements.

• Of his 8 possessions, 7 are contested.

• Game played in Adelaide as part of "Gather Round".

• Dees not great in the rain.

• Despite the difficult conditions, JvR is as clean with the footy as he normally is, going at 85.7% disposal efficiency (4th best of the Dees).

• Third game for JvR, first loss.

Photo credit: Dylan Burns/AFL Photos via Getty Images

• After a huge pre-season and an 11-mark game in the VFL last week, Jacob van Rooyen is selected to make his AFL debut.

• His #2 jumper is presented to him by its previous owner, Club legend Nathan Jones (Video here).

• Roo's first touch involved him keeping his head over the ball to win a contest, before kicking to ANB who kicked our first goal.

• Jacob kicks his first AFL goal in the 7th minute of the first quarter (Video here).

• Goes on to kick 3 goals for the game, the first Melbourne player to kick 3 on debut for 31 years.

• 6 tackles on debut show's JvR is more than just an aerial and goal kicking delight.

• Hard to imagine how a debut game could have gone any better, and a win to boot!

Photo source: Melbourne Football Club social media

• The Dees announce that for the 2023 season, Jacob van Rooyen will move from the number 21 jumper to the famous number 2.

• Most recently worn by the warrior ex-captain Nathan Jones, and made most famous by the incomparable Robbie Flower.

Photo source: Melbourne Football Club social media

• Casey held Southport to 2 goals after quarter time, cruising to a 32 point win

• This is the first flag Casey have won under this name,  and their most recent flag won as the Springvale Scorpions was in 1999 

• Link to replay

Photo source: Casey Media