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

TBH I take exception to you, and others, calling Parish a vanilla type player.

Parish is 20 years old, he has played 48 games, he was nominated for the Rising Star and finished well ahead of Oliver in the final votes.

So he is having a harder year this year? All players go through that at some stage, especially when you consider that our side has been crap all year basically and he is surrounded by a very weak midfield group. We have a difficult game plan, lost a lot of leadership from the side in Watson, Hocking, Kelly, Stanton, Howlett, etc and have no real inside beast to take all the pressure. He also appears to be playing a different role this year and it doesn’t suit him. He went back to the VFL and started to show some glimpses of why he is a good player but now has to sit out for a bit.

I would take him him again if I was given the choice and at 20 he is barely even into his prime.

Oliver on the other hand is surrounded by a very good and experienced midfield group and has a lot of freedom to play the way he wants to play and where his skills reside. He doesn’t get heavily tagged and is also a very different player to Parish.

Everyone fawns all over Langford but calls Parish a vanilla type player. Sheesh.

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I love Darcy but Oliver is and will end up as the better player. Both will be very good though

Oliver can be one of the best mids in the league. That does’nt make Parish average.

It does to some people in here. We also couldn’t get Oliver but everyone wants to bring him up every time they talk about Parish.

Lol. He wasn’t even available at our pick.

Luke Parker… sure go to town.

But Oliver, time to move on.

Dodoro finds a way.

Sorry, I frequently get Wells mixed up name wise with Hine in my head. I meant Wells. I also didn’t say top 3, I said he sits just behind the top 2. That wasn’t meant to mean exactly 3, although certainly in the ballpark. And I do believe that.

On Wells, he hit it out of the park in 1999 and 2001. But has he done a heap since then? Geelong got awfully lucky in a lot of ways (especially F/S picks), and I haven’t been a fan of Geelong’s recent list strategy. I think they’ve hurt themselves in the hunt for the premiership, although I concede that might be Scott driving things. They got rid of Johnson and Chapman too soon IMO, and have cast off good players who they didn’t need to. He’s obviously good, but I’m not sure he’s stellar. I’d put him in a similar ballpark, just behind the top couple of teams at the moment.

On Hine, the recruiting 2005 to 2010ish was very good. But it was based on certain things (tanking, trading out quality players) that I don’t believe our club has ever allowed.

By the way, you do know when I posted those comments about Dodoro/Keane sitting behind the top couple of recruiting teams, that Wright and Hine had taken up other roles in their clubs, right?

Not aimed at you, but I do think it odd some are using Wines and Oliver to have a go at Dodoro about. Neither were available at our picks.

People keep going on about talls, but since 2008 we’ve what, used 2 first round picks on talls (JD & Francis), and one 2nd rounder (Carlisle)?

Well, you missed Zaharakis and Melksham. And Bellchambers (which meant we always had a fresh ruck to hit them with and two rucking styles). You say they weren’t the most skillful, which ignores we had a Brownlow medalist in the middle. Winders also provided some class support, and Colyer had an impact pre-injury in 2014.

It wasn’t the best midfield in the league, but it went well enough that we went pretty well before injuries derailed us in both 2012 and 2013. In 2012 we were top 4 in Round 14, and in 2013 we were top 4 until Round 19. Who knows what happens without the Saga’s impact on players, coaches, and picks. Of course, if you blame Dodoro for the injuries (e.g. they were the wrong types) then you can discount those seasons pretty heavily.

I’d also point out that with Melbourne, four of their midfield are top 4 picks (Pettracca, Brayshaw, Tyson, Oliver) and Viney was a F/S they got cheap who was rated pretty high. Essendon has had one top 4 pick since the late nineties.

Imagine how much more diabolical our midfield would be had we selected Lobb instead of ZMerrett as originally planned!

I hope we can somehow get Setterfield from GWS over the next couple years. Could be the missing piece. Wonder how close we came to bidding on him at pick one?

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I know it’s pedantic but we have picked Gumby and McGrath in the top 4

Full Time: Heppell, Zaharakis, McGrath, Langford, Guelfi, Merrett

Part time: Stringer, Smith, Fantasia, Walla Goddard

Based on that we need another quality inside mid. It’s likely Goddard’s final year. I can see Stringer playing all of 2019 as a full time mid.

I actually felt that we held our own in the midfield. Was more our backline (Hurley) and forward line structure that let us down.

It not true about top 4 picks.

McGrath
Gumby
Goddard
Cooney

Interesting example to use.

That midfield got run off its feet in the second half of that final, by North Friggin Melbourne. It was too slow and immobile.

It had the ‘big bodies’ (Hell it had a Brownlow medalist in there) that we all wish for now, but it lacked run and spread. And it too, wasn’t good enough.

I find it interesting that we all automatically lament our lack of ‘inside bulls’ after every loss, even though we won the inside contests 3 weeks in a row.

It’s a balance thing imo. We haven’t managed to get a balanced midfield for… I can’t even remember, that’s how long. Probably the 2000 team, which even then, was a touch slow and heavy. (Not that it mattered)

So, while an Ollie Wines type would be ■■■■■■ useful, an outside runner with polish would be just as useful imo. And if you look at the younger mids coming through (Parish, Langford, Clarke, Guelfi), they all may address the first part, but none address the second part.

Zaharakis just got injured, and we literally have zero options to replace his role.

Edit: I guess McGrath is a candidate, but I’m not sure playing on the outside really utilises his strengths.

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Irish

I suppose. It’s certainly worth a try.

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I forgot 2016.

Colyer when fit can replace Zaka

Look at our midfield. Just fkn look at it. Tried to build a list for 90s footy. If ya can’t get a decent midfield together in a million years, I can’t see it changing anytime soon.

Fk the while recruiting team off ASAP

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Not really.

He certainly helps our outside run a considerable amount (and will find his way into the team quickly because of it) but he doesn’t get anywhere near enough of the ball to fill Zaha’s role.

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