Adrian Dodoro - Flankers into Mids since 2000 (Part 1)

Make no mistake though, the tigers are short on talls and will fix that up this year, this is the draft for it.

The thing is that we don’t draft to fix our flaws, other teams do. Our midfield has been a flaw for over a decade and it’s continually ignored. Small defenders are ignored for flankers, crumbing/pressure forwards are ignored for flankers. Everything’s ignored for tweeners.

I rated them at their peak I guess, clearly Stanton at his best was A grade. Licka for a year was an elite forward. So was Davey for a time.

But none were A-grade at the same time and had greatly declined at the end.

Realistically though the balance of the list could be fixed in one draft/trade period. Whether we’d have quality in all places is another matter, but it would be easy to fix the balance if 8 or 10 of the right players are turned over and replaced by the right types

2 Likes

Absolutely.

Any idea how much say the coaching panel has in that decision?

1 Like

If Joel Selwood is available at our first pick, we’ll still take Scott Gumbleton.

Because list balance is over rated.

I actually think the coaching changes are part of the problem, over the last 10 years we have several coaches with different ideas on game style and we drafted to suit those visons

Then we hung onto guys we liked as people if they didn’t exactly fit the current coaches style.

4 Likes

I truly believe it’s development not drafting that is killing us. Disco from the outside seems to of picked very well.

For some reason the club seems to really struggle with the development of players. He can only pick them I highly doubt he has any say on if they get picked each week.

For instance he might of chosen Langford as a mid. But the coaches lay him at half forward. Then eventually swap him into the midfield, then don’t pick him.

You can’t blame that on the recruiter.

He picked up 3 guys who have all been serviceable or in the case of saad really good, or in the case of Smith fantastic. From memory he gave up very little in return.

Back him in, and pour more resources into development

2 Likes

Will be interesting.

With the picks we traded we could gave had Tim Kelly and James Worpell and a rd 2 pick in '18 deaft (supposedly a strong draft).

Langford played most of his junior footy as 3rd tall forward

1 Like

I’m a Jackets fan, but I would be worried if we finish with a pick somewhere 2-4 that Jackets would take one of the King twins over the best available mid.

2 Likes

The whole middle could be fixed, as someone said earlier if Clarke and Langford come on.

Yep I agree. Give them til the end of the year and I reckon they’ll be solid best 22 players at the start of next season

And a half back. And if you include school football, an anywhere he was needed utility.

2 Likes

Please don’t kill my post with facts

There’s only one way to resolve the is it the recruiting or coaching that has made us ■■■■, and that is with an old fashion dance off. It’s the Essendon way, as we don’t believe in violence.

1 Like

This will be news for a couple of Yak farmers in Tibet maybe.

There’s a reason we’ve brought in about 10 mids & flankers over the past 2-3 years - McGrath, Mutch, Clarke, Begley, Guelfi, Redman, Parish, Mynott et al; along with Green, Smth, Saad & Stringer.

The missing link is actually playing them. If you’d asked Disco he would’ve given McGrath midfield time from much earlier last year, he would’ve had Begley in the side mid-2017.

4 Likes

and also floors on different levels.

Dodoro has a good eye for talent and is a good recruiter. The one thing that’s always ■■■■■■ me off though is his failure to recognise matches are won from the midfield. I almost feel as though we should have one guy specifically who specialises in identifying midfield talent and dodoro can do all the other picks for every other position.