Personally I keep chopping and changing between Clugga and Brodie. Yes the unconventional nature of Clugga and the small body scare me but the talent and nous is immense. I really feel Brodie has JPK written all over him and we could build 10 years around him... fast outside guys are easier to find in the future than clearance beasts...
Im of the opposite opinion. You can fInd beast inside midfielders late in the draft, you can’t find elite outside players with break away speed, elite decision making and ball use… That hit the score board. Unless you’ve struck gold with a Tippungwuti.
You can find inside midfielders in the state competition. You can get them as rookie picks. Off the top of my head the inside midfielders who were rookie picks: Rockliff, Priddis, Hocking, Howlett, Sewell, Kieran Jack, Shane Tuck, Barlow & Matthew Boyd.
Personally I keep chopping and changing between Clugga and Brodie. Yes the unconventional nature of Clugga and the small body scare me but the talent and nous is immense. I really feel Brodie has JPK written all over him and we could build 10 years around him... fast outside guys are easier to find in the future than clearance beasts...
Im of the opposite opinion. You can fInd beast inside midfielders late in the draft, you can’t find elite outside players with break away speed, elite decision making and ball use… That hit the score board. Unless you’ve struck gold with a Tippungwuti.
You can find inside midfielders in the state competition. You can get them as rookie picks. Off the top of my head the inside midfielders who were rookie picks: Rockliff, Priddis, Hocking, Howlett, Sewell, Kieran Jack, Shane Tuck, Barlow & Matthew Boyd.
taranto for mine is combination between brodie and mccluggage.
Personally I keep chopping and changing between Clugga and Brodie. Yes the unconventional nature of Clugga and the small body scare me but the talent and nous is immense. I really feel Brodie has JPK written all over him and we could build 10 years around him... fast outside guys are easier to find in the future than clearance beasts...
Im of the opposite opinion. You can fInd beast inside midfielders late in the draft, you can’t find elite outside players with break away speed, elite decision making and ball use… That hit the score board. Unless you’ve struck gold with a Tippungwuti.
You can find inside midfielders in the state competition. You can get them as rookie picks. Off the top of my head the inside midfielders who were rookie picks: Rockliff, Priddis, Hocking, Howlett, Sewell, Kieran Jack, Shane Tuck, Barlow & Matthew Boyd.
taranto for mine is combination between brodie and mccluggage.
inside mid /genuine forward impact.
I think we’re currently going down the path of all our midfielders having a healthy balance of inside/outside as we go forward post-Watson Era.
I think is the reason why we’ll pick McGrath ahead of McCluggage as he’s close to 50/50 with inside/outside ball use. I don’t think we are even contemplating Brodie as an option unless we trade down picks.
Disco had even said we want a classy ball user with pace.
Personally I keep chopping and changing between Clugga and Brodie. Yes the unconventional nature of Clugga and the small body scare me but the talent and nous is immense. I really feel Brodie has JPK written all over him and we could build 10 years around him... fast outside guys are easier to find in the future than clearance beasts...
Im of the opposite opinion. You can fInd beast inside midfielders late in the draft, you can’t find elite outside players with break away speed, elite decision making and ball use… That hit the score board. Unless you’ve struck gold with a Tippungwuti.
You can find inside midfielders in the state competition. You can get them as rookie picks. Off the top of my head the inside midfielders who were rookie picks: Rockliff, Priddis, Hocking, Howlett, Sewell, Kieran Jack, Shane Tuck, Barlow & Matthew Boyd.
taranto for mine is combination between brodie and mccluggage.
inside mid /genuine forward impact.
I think we’re currently going down the path of all our midfielders having a healthy balance of inside/outside as we go forward post-Watson Era.
I think is the reason why we’ll pick McGrath ahead of McCluggage as he’s close to 50/50 with inside/outside ball use. I don’t think we are even contemplating Brodie as an option unless we trade down picks.
Disco had even said we want a classy ball user with pace.
OK , one school of thought is pick the best player available, but theres no "standout" so in the light of the weaknesses of the team over the last 3 years and given the defence talent we have on the list, the best goal kicking mid is the way to go. Clugg.
I still don’t understand how there can be no standout when a player averages almost 30 touches and 2 goals a game in TAC, then also plays well at champs and in the all star game. The others must be out of this world good to say there is no standout. Or is it blitz trying to find flaws? It seems most of the experts think he has cemented himself as No. 1.
I mean seriously what TAC player in the past has put up those numbers for the whole year, and that is apparently off no pre-season.
McLuggage plays like Jackson Merrett in U18 highlights. However, looked a far better player in the exhibition match, had a real star feel to him. Glad this isn't my decision to make!
Yup, I keep getting that exact same vision in my head.
Brett Anderson reckons Essendon are more likely to pick McGrath. He seems confident.
He’s a hbf I thought we were going after a mid.
apparently plays mid in school footy.
very disciplined and can effectively perform a shut down role (smothered ainsworth something chronic/ lost out to mccluggage).
shaw loves him (our shaw).
exciting athletically.
i think labelling him a HBF is a bit disingenuous.
All the highlight vids I’ve seen him play is him in the back line we need a mid. just over this club trying to play players in their non preferred position when they are drafted.
We wasted some of Hurley’s career playing him forward.
McGrath in the Grand Final had 38 possessions yet many thought he wasn’t best on ground, you wouldn’t even realise he had that many until you hear or read the stats.
McCluggage has 17 in the All star game and Brad Johnson is saying we just can’t stop him. Everyone knew he was playing, he had 21 possessions less than McGraths GF performance yet there is a big difference in impact.
It’s no contest McCluggage hurts you with his possession McGrath doesn’t.
Anyone who watches the championship games, all star game, AIS vs VFL teams games and the TAC cup competition will also see this.
During the year McCluggage had a game 36 possessions 5 goals, that is 19 possessions and 1 goal more than his All Star game.
Pick the player who impacts the game, pretty simple really.
Brett Anderson reckons Essendon are more likely to pick McGrath. He seems confident.
He’s a hbf I thought we were going after a mid.
apparently plays mid in school footy.
very disciplined and can effectively perform a shut down role (smothered ainsworth something chronic/ lost out to mccluggage).
shaw loves him (our shaw).
exciting athletically.
i think labelling him a HBF is a bit disingenuous.
All the highlight vids I’ve seen him play is him in the back line we need a mid. just over this club trying to play players in their non preferred position when they are drafted.
We wasted some of Hurley’s career playing him forward.
He is a mid who can play defence I’m getting tired of having to remind people of that. Has spent the bulk of his TAC in the midfield only going back for a quarter max. Also I wouldn’t say playing Hurley forward was a waste I still remember him single handedly knocking the Hawks out of the finals back in 2009 playing forward.
Brett Anderson reckons Essendon are more likely to pick McGrath. He seems confident.
He’s a hbf I thought we were going after a mid.
apparently plays mid in school footy.
very disciplined and can effectively perform a shut down role (smothered ainsworth something chronic/ lost out to mccluggage).
shaw loves him (our shaw).
exciting athletically.
i think labelling him a HBF is a bit disingenuous.
All the highlight vids I’ve seen him play is him in the back line we need a mid. just over this club trying to play players in their non preferred position when they are drafted.
We wasted some of Hurley’s career playing him forward.
He is a mid who can play defence I’m getting tired of having to remind people of that. Has spent the bulk of his TAC in the midfield only going back for a quarter max. Also I wouldn’t say playing Hurley forward was a waste I still remember him single handedly knocking the Hawks out of the finals back in 2009 playing forward.
If he’s a mid first that can have stints in the back line I’m fine with that.
McGrath in the Grand Final had 38 possessions yet many thought he wasn't best on ground, you wouldn't even realise he had that many until you hear or read the stats.
McCluggage has 17 in the All star game and Brad Johnson is saying we just can’t stop him. Everyone knew he was playing, he had 21 possessions less than McGraths GF performance yet there is a big difference in impact.
It’s no contest McCluggage hurts you with his possession McGrath doesn’t.
Anyone who watches the championship games, all star game, AIS vs VFL teams games and the TAC cup competition will also see this.
During the year McCluggage had a game 36 possessions 5 goals, that is 19 possessions and 1 goal more than his All Star game.
Pick the player who impacts the game, pretty simple really.
Brett Anderson reckons Essendon are more likely to pick McGrath. He seems confident.
He’s a hbf I thought we were going after a mid.
apparently plays mid in school footy.
very disciplined and can effectively perform a shut down role (smothered ainsworth something chronic/ lost out to mccluggage).
shaw loves him (our shaw).
exciting athletically.
i think labelling him a HBF is a bit disingenuous.
All the highlight vids I’ve seen him play is him in the back line we need a mid. just over this club trying to play players in their non preferred position when they are drafted.
We wasted some of Hurley’s career playing him forward.
He is a mid who can play defence I’m getting tired of having to remind people of that. Has spent the bulk of his TAC in the midfield only going back for a quarter max. Also I wouldn’t say playing Hurley forward was a waste I still remember him single handedly knocking the Hawks out of the finals back in 2009 playing forward.
It really doesn’t matter if he is a mid 1st, his impact as a mid is well behind McCluggages, McCluggages 20 possessions is better than McGraths 30 from the midfield.
Compare McCluggages all star game to McGrath Grand Final performance, 17 poss vs 38 poss, yet the 17 had heaps more impact.
same in the champ games, same at TAC cup level, hence Morrish Medal 16 votes vs 4 for McGrath.
Brett Anderson reckons Essendon are more likely to pick McGrath. He seems confident.
He’s a hbf I thought we were going after a mid.
apparently plays mid in school footy.
very disciplined and can effectively perform a shut down role (smothered ainsworth something chronic/ lost out to mccluggage).
shaw loves him (our shaw).
exciting athletically.
i think labelling him a HBF is a bit disingenuous.
Just my own point of view, and you may think otherwise, but he’s yet to convince me he is a great centre square midfielder.
In an ideal world if we are taking a midfielder at pick 1 I’d want to be comfortably satisfied (to use a horrible term) that they were going to be above average at stoppages and be players who exert their influence here. That doesn’t mean they have to be absolute bulls like Josh Kennedy or Jack Viney types but even that Pendlebury type ability to posess great spatial awareness and agility to find the drop of the ball and dance through traffic. Will he become that? Maybe. But right now I’m not convinced.
Even McCluggage as well to be fair has a way to go in this area but I feel he will become more capable as he fills out. Even so, I am less concerned because he has demonstrated great scoreboard impact as well which gives him another dimension where he is damaging.
OK , one school of thought is pick the best player available, but theres no "standout" so in the light of the weaknesses of the team over the last 3 years and given the defence talent we have on the list, the best goal kicking mid is the way to go. Clugg.
I still don’t understand how there can be no standout when a player averages almost 30 touches and 2 goals a game in TAC, then also plays well at champs and in the all star game. The others must be out of this world good to say there is no standout. Or is it blitz trying to find flaws? It seems most of the experts think he has cemented himself as No. 1.
I mean seriously what TAC player in the past has put up those numbers for the whole year, and that is apparently off no pre-season.
Don’t be fooled. It’s out of McCluggage and McGrath.
The reason why McGrath’s now in the conversation, is because of an outstanding TAC Cup grand final performance.
McGrath is a very good footballer. A very conventional footballer. He looks like a genuine footballer with the way he moves. And he’s built like footballer. Then add his athletism… Then you’ve got people frothing.
McCluggage moves unusually. He does things in a very unconventional way. But he does it all to advantage and hits the scoreboard. The unconventional nature of his game has Essendon supporters scared off. Just remember half of Bomberblitz hated Cale Hooker because he ran funny.
Often people want players that look like conventional footballers, with their size, build and movement.