Better to be positive than pessimistic. Realistic is fine but all will be clearer over the next 3 weeks, then we can see if this positivity is realistic or not.
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This will certainly occur at some point in his career.
The question is, where does he provide more value in the short term ('22/'23), midfield OR Salem role ?
We probably dont possess the quality to take him away from the middle yet, though i agree, he would make a great distributor.
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If Caldwell has another big preseason next year and goes to another level, and similarly Hobbs (with Shiel and Langers having an injury free preseason), you could arguably do it from next year.
However, taking Merrett out of the midfield would require kicking improvement across the board of our other midfielders. And as you say, the loss of Merrett could hurt us too much on that basis
But a best 22 in that structure would look like
Kelly Reid Lav
McGrath Ridley Merrett
Draper Caldwell Shiel
Langford Parish Cox
Perkins Jones Snelling
Tippa Wright Stringer
Redman Hobbs Wanganeen Martin
Thatās arguably the best 22 we could put on paper as it allows us to play both Martin and Cox in the one side without injuries.
If weāre getting beaten every week in contested ball and stoppages, then we need to make some changes to address that. Itās the only way you can do it while keeping the talent on the park
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You hit the nail on the head here.
Merrett hits some amazing targets I50, and we lose this almost completely with him stationed behind the ball.
Dont forget Perkins in your midfield mix from 2023 onwards.
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Yep and Perkins has shown he can be a good kick. Langford as well should help our kicking skills, and hopefully Cox gets there as well. Stringer has shown that when fit, he is a good kick as well
But maybe you accept the loss of kicking skills from your inside group, to increase the skills of your outside group.
Itās not like Oliver, Harmes and Viney are particularly good kicks for the Dees. Itās their outside players that are great users
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I canāt see us ever winning another game.
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Looked better without him.
Weāre certainly going to find out.
This injury might be a blessing for the team long term, assuming Merrett comes back fully recovered.
What, in one game against Melb?
Going to ignore his game against Lions, or the entire of 2021?
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Oh come off it.
- Firstly, some of those players listed arenāt in our best 22.
- Secondly, several would walk straight into the current Melbourne side, but youāre arguing they arenāt good enough for a top 4 team.
- Thirdly, all of the top 4 teams have weaker players at the bottom of their 22.
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Calm Hirdy ā¦ we will. And it will be great.
who do you think would get a game for melbourne out of that list?
personally i think youād be hard pressed to make a case for any. Shiel and Langford would be the only remote chances
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Shiel would walk in over Harmes or ANB.
Langford would walk in over Bradshaw. Compare their 2021 stats. Langford averaged more disposals, goals, marks, clearances, tackles and score involvements. He also had higher disposal efficiency.
2W 9L or 3W 8L, but if Essendon strike a red hot patch of form then 4W 7L at best!
Youāre being kind to ignore round 1.
For whatever reason heās been below his best this year. His strength has never been the clearance itself, and heās below that level.
To go back to the point of this thread, I think thereās a lot more to be gained by sticking with McGrath and Caldwell (and soon enough, Hobbs) in the guts. Not because theyāre better players, but because theyāre in their element there - horses for course.
Zerrett wing, half back, half forward, bits of midfield. Plug holes.
Neal-Bullen plays a specific role for the Dees, pretty much the same role Snelling plays. Shiel wouldnāt play that over him (would play over Harmes or Jordan though)
Langford would in no way play over Brayshaw who plays a very specific role for the Dees as the defensive winger.
Not sure Langers would play for them tbh (and I like him) - unless Jordan is in their best 22
We all make the mistake of over rating our own. We rank them relative to their team mates. Because our poorest players are very poor we are coming off a low base. Langford is best 22 for us and I rate him (see above) but heād struggle for a gig at the stronger clubs. As would Shiel.
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People also overrate players from other clubs all the time because their mistakes donāt hurt as much. Shiel has his deficiencies, without a doubt, but the idea heās not comfortably better than the last bench spot in the best 22 of any other team is crazy.
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Very true
Langers would get a game at any club, IMHO. He can do 3 or 4 jobs.
Thereās plenty of clubs where he wouldnāt be in the best midfield, plenty where he wouldnāt be their best option on a wing or a HFF, but I donāt see a club where heās not in there somehow.
Shiel probably not so much - heās midfield or nothing.
These days, with the draft & salary cap, the talentās pretty evenly spread, thereās really only 5-6 good players between a good club and a bottom one.
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