You post lots of long posts talking about footy. For not the first time I find myself wondering if you watch games.
Have you not noticed how Stringer has come on in the last few games. Have you not noticed how Zerrett is playing a more inside game. Have you not noticed how Dev Smith has been playing through the midfield.
That was the one point I made.
So why in the ■■■■ are you talking to me?
Mouthbreather.
Goddard’s barely been near midfield. Watch closer.
But I bet Langford, McGrath and Stringer do play midfield, just like they did last week, and the weeks before (bar injury). None of them did that last year, Langford should have. Ie, development.
It’s always those that make the most noise, that seem to know the least here I’ve found over the years, … exemplified by those that automatically attack the Coach/es when things aren’t going well, … before a guy has even had a chance to put his stamp on the joint. It screams of ignorance.
Yep Stringer and Smith were awesome recruitment pick ups. I’m still not convinced Stringer is a full time mid… impact mid for sure. However I probably differ from you because I actually think he has had a very good season overall… I didn’t get the negativity but thats another story. Clearly Smith has been our best player… well for me at least.
I don’t think Zerrett is playing a more inside game… I think he has been building an inside out game for several years…
Happy to completely disagree with you over everything… it is a forum afterall… what I won’t do is question your support for the club or whether you watch games… if it is anything like life… every single person who watches a game of footy will see and interpret something different.
I really fail to see what is wrong with having Heppell, Zaka, and Zach in our midfield. All good players in there. And then we have added Smith, with Langford and Stringer also finding their feet in the role. Not to mention Raz, Tippa and Green who all roll through there as well. Mutch also got a look in before injury. And then there are youngsters like Clarke and Mynott still to come through. I think, from what I see, our midfield is being remodelled quite significantly.
Angry wim’s back!!
the best!
dips me lid
And now he’s gone again.
You’ve posted over 20,000 times. You’re living proof of this theory.
Well yes they might… but here’s the thing… seeing it differently doesn’t make you right, it doesn’t make your opinion valid. I’m not talking about you personally. I’m saying that there are facts in footy and there are opinions, and yes, everyone it is entitled to an opinion but that doesn’t make it fact.
I was questioning whether you watch games because, as I said, it doesn’t seem like you do. That’s an opinion.
Not sure what your point is re Stringer, I was thrilled we got him and am very pleased with how his season is progressing.
I don’t have a problem with Hepp, Zaka and Zach in the midfield at all… I actually don’t have a problem with our list development… I am actually over confident that we have more than enough players for on field success… that is why I am disappointed over this season.
What I don’t agree with is the notion that we had to be “bad/poor” this season because it is a development season. That is just a difference of opinion.
For me the midfield we are seeing is not that “new”… it is guys like the aformentioned… and Raz, Walla and McGrath who were all destined to rotate through that and have been rotating through there for a while. Smith was a pure midfielder that was added and Stringer is a project that was a ‘free hit’ for us.
So my point, although probably different and wrong in your eyes, is that I don’t see why we have gone backwards this year and why I should have expected (which is how this all started) better results.
My preseason thoughts would be that we would be sitting here marvelling at the rebuilt midfield of Heppell, Zaka, Merrett, Parish, Langford, Laverde, McGrath, Smith, Stringer, Fanta, Wall, Mutch, Redman, Clarke and wondering how we are going to a) keep them all and b) fit them all in the midfield…
But I don’t think that our problems begin and end in the midfield either… they are building nicely and having a great month of performances from what I can see… we are being killed by our game plan and tactical set ups… which is coaching not personel.
I guess you can right anything to suit your story. “Rich are just going - serious struggling”
Yeah right. 9 wins, 3 losses. Losses interstate to WC, Crows and PA without Dusty. What teams are getting what traction on what key areas?
I think thats the problem, it’s an alarming drop off when we are counting Tippa and Green rolling through there. We need to bat deeper and at the moment we have two A-graders, couple Bs and the rest, well…getting there. Definitely need 3-4 As and few more Bs.
Got zac, Smith, Hep, zaka who are anywhere between good and great mids. Need Stringer and McGrath to really come on and someone like Geulfi to get to B grade level. And then need to draft a gun mid with our 1st this year and hopefully trade another in.
Flags aren’t won with 6 defenders and 6 forward with 2 of each being KPP and haven’t been won like that for a while
Yeah, not many teams have actually won flags since we won in 2000.
Coaching and between the ears with this mob talent is obviously there
Fk this forum is a huge steaming pile of sh*t lately, you only have to read the bickering above to realise that, which is basically every thread these days
No worries… you are spot on, I don’t watch games… now you can go to sleep happy and content. Have a great night!
2019 midfield could be -
Heppell, Zerrett, Parish, McGrath, Smith, Guelfi, Langford, Stringer, Zaharakis
plus 2 HFs, 2 small forwards & 2 younger players who can roll through there when needed. We need another couple and mcgrath and parish to step up to A grade to beat the best, but the midfield is being rebuilt now.
I expected more this year and I think our midfield has a lot of talent, but in hindsight it’s not surprising we’ve struggled a fair bit.
Heppell - has been solid despite the regular criticisms
Zaka - has been very good… pity we won’t see much more of him this year
Merrett - obviously down on previous years seemingly partly because of concussion, partly getting more attention and partly because of learning a bit of a different role (we just don’t have enough other gun mids yet to cover a down patch from him)
McGrath - i’ll admit I probably expected too much. I pretty much expected him to walk into the midfield and be a gun immediately. I still think he will be a gun midfielder, but it will just take longer than i expected. I reserve the right to expect his 2019 to be like Zerrett’s 2016.
Parish - a bit of a disappointment this year. But i’m In the camp that thinks he’ll never be a gun. I expect him to get a lot better but I think he’ll be a 4th or 5th best mid level.
Langford - I expected him to get more opportunity than he has. I like what we’ve seen in the last 3 weeks but i’s still like to see him get more time in the middle. I think he could be a big difference maker for us. I just hope we don’t lose him at the end of the year.
Smith - has been excellent defensively. Way better than I expected. Offensively he hasn’t contributed as much as I thought.
Myers - I actually expected him to be better than he has been. After about a month, i also expected the coaches to load him into the cannon. The fact he hasn’t has held us back.
Stringer - it wasn’t a surprise how much he struggled early. To be honest, i wasn’t ever expecting more than the occasional burst from him. The Richmond game was the first big sign he could be a lot more.
In short, I think the fact that for varying reasons, Zerrett, Parish, McGrath and Langford haven’t contributed as much as I expected has held us back.
I don’t think this is a concern long term. They’re all young and learning to handle more responsibility. I think they’ll all be far better next year. I just hope we haven’t lost Langford. That’s my biggest concern.
Plus the sooner we replace Myers with Clarke, the better. I have high hopes for Clarke. He can hit the ground running next year if he gets 4 or 5 games (or ideally 7 or 8) this year.
Plus I expected Fantasia to play more midfield time this year and obviously injury has hampered that.
There is still a lot of promise in our midfield that could start to bear fruit quickly
I have the opinion that it went downhill when even you lost the energy to get angry after a loss… when the great WOB is barely mustering a ‘meh’ after a humiliating loss to Richmond on the big stage… we all start to feel deflated.