I’m not ‘Myers fan club’ and I agree his position is up for discussion. But I don’t get ‘not up to standard’.
His last half of last year was good. We just can’t replace a 6’3 strong mid who last year basically gave us more contested possessions and more clearances per game than anyone on our list. You can bring Parish and/or Zaha in for bounces but they do not and can’t provide the physicality that Myers does.
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It sounds that way. Which is great news. His intensity in the guts would be awesome. I love how hard he attacks every contest. You’ll never die wondering with Guelfi.
If you say it enough times, and it’s repeated enough times, it becomes true. Then you can build a case on it.
Would you go with Langford over Myers? It’s the toss of a coin for me. Which probably means Langford should get the gig. Because of “play the kids”. They’re really making him earn that 50th game.
Yeah, I feel like I have to say it as I’m not locked in on this bloke but it prob comes across as I am.
I do think the criticism is overs and we have no one demanding his spot.
I’d probably go with Langers. I want to see if he’s going to make it in that position, and if not, see if he’ll make it in any other. And if not, move on. Finish up the mid experiment (I don’t know how far they are with that), throw everything into the forward role (maybe give Laverde an extended run in the in/out mid). I think Myer’s experience and exceptional leading skills would serve excellently in the VFL. Then again - there’s a lot I don’t know.
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No they didnt, he was injured, and never played in the 2s.
Edit nevermind didnt see the 2017 but.
This is the concern for me too. The more worrying part is the playing group seem 5o have vited foe him 5o go into the leadership group did they not ?
Which suggests the whole club dont see it and dont realise to get the ultimate prize the xollective as a whole have to make tough sacrifices.
Instead they want to ignore 10 years worth of evidence and want the warm fuzzy feeling oh getting success eith myers in the team.
But its not going ro happen.
I said the same about stanton and watson that we would never have success while they were the cornerstones of the midfield.
Watson improved 10 fold after i said that , but the fact is you need better balance in the whole side, and you just donr get it with myers.
Well thats like saying brown was our leading goalkicker (donno if he was) so therefore he is irreplaceable.
You stick a player in the midfield for most games of course they will get more possessions/contested possessions cos they are in a spot that has more of those situations.
I remmeber in 2017 that was the reasoning why bird never got a gig above myers , cos he xould never possibly do what myers did , just cos.
Except the games he was given due 5o injury , then his numbers where similar to myers.
Its a bullshit justification thats become so popular at this xlub , that player x cant be replaced , or theres no one knocking down the door.
For a club thats been so entrenched in mediocre culture youd think they’d be turning over every rock to try and find success, instead of running back to experiments that have never been that successful in the first place.
Langford was equally important to the team last year if not more.
His kicking was elite which is something we don’t have enough of.
I’m not sure that that’s a thing, at least not round these parts
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I just checked and Howlett played 7. That’s more than I thought. But I agree, still way too many
Put your hand up if you thought our midfield got dominated for contested ball and clearances last week because it was undersized.
Last I looked the lions aren’t running Patrick Cripps through their midfield. If they were I could maybe argue my way into accepting Myers as a sensible inclusion.
Absent that though we are just robbing our midfield
of agility and spread in favour of a guy whose greatest attribute as an inside mid is arguably his ability to force a secondary ball up.
If Myers had clean hands, great vision and a quick mind, at his size, he’d be a real asset. Sadly he has none of those things and there isn’t a single lions midfielder that I would pick him to go head to head with.
I don’t think anyone be is really surprised though.
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I don’t think he’s irreplaceable and I’ve said numerous times that his spot is worth discussion.
I think at present he’s the best we have. His numbers last year are good and with 4 in at each bounce and hi missing 7 odd games, plenty had chances.
He was preferred to Bird baceause he was a far better player. Also, a lot question his leadership value. The players collectively voted him into the leadership group so I’m happy to assume that they see him as a leader as well.
Of coarse, if the players voted for him and the coaches keep selecting him, it’s possible that they are correct and Blitz is wrong…
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He plays his role no doubt
Is just not particularly good at it comparative to other sides key inside mids.
It’s just an unfortunate part of the state of our list post Watson that he’s our go to guy. And the next in line is Langford who lacks the aggression at the contest to play inside permanently and Clarke who can’t kick.
And also our best clearance player is an All Australian level forward
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To kick the ball, first you must get the ball, which at the moment Langford is a touch deficient… If he had the attack that he showed at the end of last year he would be an automatic pick. Personally I beleive he will never make a permanent mid fielder, but make a fine HFF. Like Houli and Richards he is given tasks that don’t suit him.
You are probably correct, who needs mids that can slice the opposition open.
That’s the problem, not so much a slice , more a hack. Talented but not enough aggression.
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Haha, it’s all so true. Early call, but after the first few rounds it’s starting to look like the 6-6-6 rule might be suiting the faster medium sized mids. The big clearance bulls aren’t quiet as critical. I might be way off though.