Why? Who would be our top 8 mids? Maybe
Zerrett
Heppell
Zaharakis
McGrath
Parish
Smith
Stringer
Langford (hopefully) - if not, Goddard or Myers.
Apart from Smith and Stringer, all of those guys have played and trained a lot together.
Even though McGrath and Langford would be new regular members to that midfield, they have both played some midfield in the 1’s already and trained a lot with the midfield.
Smith and Stringer are experienced players, so it shouldn’t be too hard for them to fit in.
No doubt it won’t be perfect straight away, but I reckon they’ll be working well together from the start
Most of the guys you mention are young and will be playing different roles to what they have played previously. Teams take years to gel.
The other factor is just how much different the structures will be under Skipworth. I’m anticipating that it’s going to be totally different to what we have seen in recent years.
I don’t think it will be a problem but I’m not so confident that it’s all just going to happen from round 1 either.
But as I said I still think we have enough quality that we can grind out wins and push for top four. I hope that we hit our best form in the second half of the year and hit the finals in good shape for a change.
Woosha legit did the same thing as coach for Essendon. I wish I could remember the game. I was in tears laughing, but nobody seems to have noticed it but me.
We have a terrific list and Crowie is doing a great job of keeping them strong and fit.
I believe we have the coaching talent.
Realistically it will take a few games to get things sorted in the middle. I think we will finish strongly. I’d be very disappointed if we aren’t in the top 4.
It now over to the players. It’s all about headspace now. Please NO MORE ESSINGTON.
In my many decades of following this wonderfully frustrating club, I cant recall a time when I have been this optimistic.
yep absolutely. I agree. And I was going to add a line about it not being a matter of “if” but “when” they will make it happen during the year. But I took it out. I should have taken the thread on and backed myself but I didn’t.
Cheer up, think about how many players we have now who have the serious ability and tendency to do that very thing on the field. Andy McGrath by all accounts is going to be one of them.
I have a theory that Skipworth has a different coaching role / style than what we have previously seen. I reckon his goal will be to specifically train and coach to the structures set by the tactical guys (whatever they are called).
In other words we’ve got the blokes to work out the tactics and the structures… and it is Skipworths job to take those and get the team playing to them.
One thing I’m looking forward to about our midfield is that we won’t (or shouldn’t) lack run. Whether you define run as speed or endurance (or even quantity of blokes who can go through midfield…therefore providing fresh legs), we appear to be far better placed in both (all three) then we have been for years…possibly any time since 2000.
Smith is such a talent. The thing I love most about him is he has some real mongrel in him to go with that talent. Been a long time since we have had some mongrel in the middle.
I can imagine him making anyone who tags Zac life a living hell
The thing I like about him is he won’t be fluffing around at the 50m line looking for someone to pass to. He’ll just load up and take the game on. Has the skill to do it to.
Is his knee supposed to be a long term issue, or is it just that he missed a lot of footy with it last year so people are worried about how he comes back from it?
