compared to the other midfield groups in the comp we are about average maybe even below, heres a chance for a few guys to get their hands dirty and show if they can step it up a notch.
I'd like to see us use Hocking off the leash and have somebody else play tagging role.
If you’re trying to replace Watson with another inside mid, surely NOB is the only realistic choice based on VFL form?
I'd like to see us use Hocking off the leash and have somebody else play tagging role.
Yeah I agree, we need his leadership around the stoppages without having to worry about he oppositions best mid.
Melk to become the chief stopper.
Hocking to midfield rotations with Goddard and Myers.
NOB and Kav to get game time.
For other options
Jerret to make the move into the middle for more of the game.
Gleeson back in the side and Hibbo to get some game time in the middle.
Dalgleish to HBF to release Dempsey to the wing and stants to the guts.
Would have been great to have Browne, Hams and Kommer all vying for the spot to, but we are struggling for mid depth this year.
Hurley and carlisle both to play back. Fletch to play small.
Watson replacement in mid? Unleash the sqwarking, relentless pig (Hibbs)!
You know you want it..
As much as I respect him as a character, NOB ain't the answer here. We'll bring Gleeson / Licha / Jerrett into the best 22 and it'll be a case of juggling the rotations and roles with the cattle we have. If anything, KAV! might be thrown into the mix.
Hurley and carlisle both to play back. Fletch to play small.
Watson replacement in mid? Unleash the sqwarking, relentless pig (Hibbs)!
You know you want it..
I agree Hibberd deserves a try in the midfield. He is a ball magnet and mostly disposes of the ball well. This may be his opportunity.
We have the Kav… That’s all we need
Why release Hocking? Robbing Peter of his entire livelihood to make one of 100 installments to pay Paul.
It's not forward thinking to do that. Give Kav, NOB or even a semi last chance to Trav/Last chance to Leroy to prove they are capable of being a part of our midfield going forward.
i do wonder if jobe's absence may actually speed us up a bit. we do look for him a lot yet we a trying to build a game plan around playing on on going quick from the mark which isn't exactly his strong suit.
he is averaging close to 17 uncontested positions a game so if we can spread that load around some of our better movers our ball movement will hopefully be a better for it.
of course the trick is going to be getting someone to stand in for him for his contested work and figure out how to cope with more attention being put into heppell and others and stopagges. A lot of the blocking works sides have been putting into jobe may go else ware. they might not though and sides might start backing themselves in against us more which may even open things up a bit for us if paddy and tbell are on top.
Obviously we are poorer for his absence particularly around stoppages and in heavy traffic but i am curious to see if our midfield looks a little quicker without him.
Bump. Midfield discussion thread.
4 weeks in where does it stand. I’m pretty happy with how it’s beginning to look and gel. Still think there is a bit more to draw out of the engine though, perhaps Draper can really ignite the fire.
Shiel certainly seems to have changed the dynamic of the group over the last few weeks and Merrett has started to find form. The balance between agility and size feels much better.
Parish is starting to really look at home and McGrath is proving a last quarter specialist.
An interesting exercise is to match them up against the greatest Midfield to ever midfield.
Hepp - pendles
Shiel - Treloar
Zerret - beams
Zaha - sidebottom
Parish - Adams
McGrath - Phillips
Smith - thomas
Myers/Lang - Mayne/Greenwood
Stringer - de goey
Tippa - Stephenson
Fanta - Hoskin-elliot/varcoe
I keep hearing Collingwood will run us off our feet on Anzac Day. It will certainly provide an interesting test
Collingwood seems to be trying to slow the game down and become more defensive.
I am not sure how that fits in with running us off our feet.
But theres only about 10 days before we find out.
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On paper there high end talent is slightly ahead of ours.
But our age profile is much much better.
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The big difference between how our midfield operates and Collingwood’s is they try to spread out as a midfield and we tend to gravitate together. We are more worried about losing it in tight whereas there worry is getting beat on the outside.
So difficult to have a conversation with any real conviction about whether our midfield is any good or not.
The performances this year have been improving week on week. If that continues, and we become what my head says we could become, then we will match it with anyone.
I think it is interesting to flag who is in and out of form in our midfield. I think we have a few more gears left in us.
Hepp - about par.
Shiel - has more to give as he gets to know his teammates
Zerret - still not quite firing at optimum levels in my opinion
Zaha - flying
Parish - depends on where he is being played. About par.
McGrath - So much more to give. Still not breaking lines like we were seeing in the preseason.
Smith - For whatever reason is down on last years efforts
Myers/Lang - about par
Stringer - flying
Tippa - has left orbit
Fanta - levels below his best
wasn’t he being carefully managed during pre-season? As a guess, they may have set him, program wise, to peak later.
One huge plus is the impact of getting tagged has improved.
The opposition can tag either Sheil or Merret allowing the other latitude. In addition zaka and raz will avoid it all together.
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