Does West Coast have the worst midfield in the league?

[Forward Press]

What's the point bumping this?

Priddis winning a contentious Brownlow at age 30 doesn't turn the Eagles midfield around.

It's staggering that they say on the sidelines during trade week to be honest.

Who during trade week was a realistic target for us that would improve our midfield? Or perhaps even amongst the delistees? The young WA prospects like Bennell and O'Meara aren't going to be back for some time, if ever.

Dayne Beams - never coming here
Allen Christensen - ditto
Ryan Griffen - ditto
Jonathan O'Rourke - ditto
Kane Lucas - we may yet get him but he's not the answer
Mitch Robinson - heh

etc etc

We're obviously looking to the draft to try and solve our problems there.

 

[Damon_3388]

Probably have the same problem as us in that it's hard to convince anyone decent to fly across to the other side of the country when they can just stay in Melbourne.

Yeah, they either need to be a Western Australian, or you probably have to pay overs (contract or trade) to get them there.

There was no talk of them even trying to be involved.

they should have thrown up a draft pick for a senior midfielder.

Like who?

There wasn't really that many quality mids on the table, and even fewer would would have liked to make a move West, and then you have to get a deal done too. I can understand why there was no movement there.

And if their strategy is around the draft - then they should have made a play for a few more picks.

Surely their strategy isn't around the current midfield plus a couple more draft picks??

There's not really that much that middle of the road teams in their situation can do. Sometimes being mediocre (mid-table), and possibly snagging a finals appearance, is better than nothing.

 

[Happy Mastenator]

West Coast Midfield >>>>>>>>> Pies Midfield

Pendles would be the only Pie mid better than his direct opponent now days, Sidebottom would break even.

Sadly for the Pies we have a better forward line and a better back line as well.

 

[Kwality]

I'm sure people know it (especially West Coast fans), but there needs to be a bit of realism as to where their midfield is at. For the most part, they're not young and developing anymore, they're right in or around their prime (7th-11th season after draft year, 25-29 years old) in 2015:

Matt Priddis - 29-30 years old, 12th season (actually 10th AFL season)
Matt Rosa - 28-29 years old, 11th season
Xavier Ellis - 26-27 years old, 9th season (actually 10th AFL season)
Sharrod Wellingham - 26-27 years old, 9th season
Patrick McGinnity - 25-26 years old, 8th season
Chris Masten - 25-26 years old, 8th season
Callum Sinclair - 25-26 years old, 8th season (actually 3rd AFL season)
Scott Selwood - 24-25 years old, 7th season
Nic Naitanui - 24-25 years old, 7th season
Luke Shuey - 24-25 years old, 7th season
Brad Sheppard - 23-24 years old, 6th season
Mark Hutchings - - 23-24 years old, 6th season (actually 4th AFL season)
Andrew Gaff - 22-23 years old, 5th season
Scott Lycett - 22-23 years old, 5th season
Elliot Yeo - 21-22 years old, 4th season
Will Maginness - 19-20 years old, 2nd season
Dom Sheed - 19-20 years old, 2nd season
Dylan Main - 19-20 years old, 2nd season

I know everything isn't as formulaic as that (eg. you're in this age range, so you should be at your best, no exceptions), but with most of their midfielders, they're probably as good as they're ever going to be, and their time is now.

Again, stating the obvious, but they really need a midfielder with a point of difference from this draft. Genuine speed and footskills. WA/NT guys like Jarrod Pickett, Jarrod Garlett and Nakia Cockatoo should all be firmly on their radar. If they can snag one or (somehow) two of those players in the draft, and they can have a relatively immediate impact, their midfield will look a lot more promising going forward.

Well who should or could they have gotten? And what would or could they have given up to get them?

Given I was surprised Simpson didn't use his Hawks experience to chase any of the Hawks in play in trade week, either West Coast & the Hawks didn't leak to the media or he rates the midfield. He will need a good run with injuries.

 

[kranky al]

Yeah sorry, I did leave him out. Saw him playing more as a Half Back this year, but projects as a mid long-term. Added him to my original post.

Anyway, in 2015:

Elliot Yeo - 21-22 years old, 4th season

Oh boy oh boy - he plays in the midfield when priddis has a break...... All of a sudden we have a real midfield

 

[Forward Press]

Oh boy oh boy - he plays in the midfield when priddis has a break...... All of a sudden we have a real midfield

I bet if someone posted a thread about their favourite ice cream flavour you'd still find a way to make it about Priddis.

Give it a rest, dude, it's the off-season.

 

[master bate]

HB: Ellis ### Hurn
C: Yeo Priddis Gaff
HF: McGinnity ### Sheed

Foll: NN Shuey Selwood
Int: Lycett, Masten, Rosa, Wellingham/Hutchings/Sheppard

It's interesting. I think Selwood back to his best and Shuey and Gaff finding consistency can boost it up. Maybe I'm silly but I 'bought' the end of the season from West Coast. Not top 4 or maybe top 6 but definitely top 8 potential.

I was thinking about what moves they could make to get an immediate upgrade. Obviously they had a play for Varcoe who would've given some flexibility with the wings and half backs or half forwards plus some speed

Chase Hallahan - No, inside ball and slow speed so doesn't help
Ben Newton just became available from Port - does he move the needle though or more depth? I'd have some interest if I were West Coast
Trade Lycett? - No, they clearly want ruck to be a strength especially if they develop as forwards
Trade Sinclair - I imagine it was considered, but at the same time I doubt his value

The only thing I could really think of is whether they could actively pushed Rosa to free agency, hoping a side signed him for a 3 year deal on decent coin and got them a second round pick. That's not so crazy that it couldn't have happened. The extra pick would give them another shot in the draft and I do rate Rosa but at the same time is he a huge loss? When he's in the side he does his job well and plays a role. But when he's out of the side you can use different players through his position and get more development.

 

[Forward Press]

Some good points MB. I have no doubt Sinclair was being talked about but like you said, there's probably not much value there from trading him. Lycett is untouchable now, from what we've seen he's a perfect second ruck foil to Naitanui.

I haven't seen much of Ben Newton - does he offer the pace and skills we desperately need in the midfield?

Rosa is essential to our team structure, he works hard, finds the ball and foot skills are reasonable enough. He's Victorian so he might attract interest in FA but I prefer to keep him and trade out others like Masten first, based on what we've seen in 2014.

Gaff has shown the most promise in the last third of the season, it looks like he has learnt to cope better with the opposition attention, I am very hopeful he will step up another gear in 2015. Him and Shuey are untradeable imo. Considering we have Masten, Selwood and now Yeo going through the midfield there is a core of talent that are all still years away from being on the wrong side of 30 - yet they haven't all clicked.

 

[Suma Magic]

HB: Ellis ### Hurn
C: Yeo Priddis Gaff
HF: McGinnity ### Sheed

Foll: NN Shuey Selwood
Int: Lycett, Masten, Rosa, Wellingham/Hutchings/Sheppard

Just because it makes me sick to see McGinnnity listed in a potential Eagles team, thought I'd reply with what I consider to be the midfield of our likely best 22:

HB: Hurn XXXX Ellis
C: Rosa Selwood Gaff
R: Naitanui Yeo Shuey
HF: Masten XXXX LeCras

I: XXXX Priddis Wellingham
S: Sheppard

 

[master bate]

Some good points MB. I have no doubt Sinclair was being talked about but like you said, there's probably not much value there from trading him. Lycett is untouchable now, from what we've seen he's a perfect second ruck foil to Naitanui.

I haven't seen much of Ben Newton - does he offer the pace and skills we desperately need in the midfield?

Rosa is essential to our team structure, he works hard, finds the ball and foot skills are reasonable enough. He's Victorian so he might attract interest in FA but I prefer to keep him and trade out others like Masten first, based on what we've seen in 2014.

Gaff has shown the most promise in the last third of the season, it looks like he has learnt to cope better with the opposition attention, I am very hopeful he will step up another gear in 2015. Him and Shuey are untradeable imo. Considering we have Masten, Selwood and now Yeo going through the midfield there is a core of talent that are all still years away from being on the wrong side of 30 - yet they haven't all clicked.

Rosa's the one I mentioned because he'll be 28 soon and whilst he can probably play a long time he's unlikely to be a key component in a side that needs an injection of talent sooner than later and then still needs a few years to develop. He's had a few injuries as well which have to be a factor.

I mean I'm sure you guys are all worried about a top draw spine getting wasted because they don't have the midfield support. I know I would be.

Masten might be more expendable but he's also neatly in the right age bracket.

The other thing I didn't mention is trading out Schofield or Brown, but you don't want to rob a strength for no immediate benefit.

Guess it's time to draft well and to mount a serious plan for a FA and/or a Western Australian out of contract or other out of contract player who you can get with an audacious bid.

Maybe this is cruel but West Coast need to make the top 6 next year and have it sustainable (not with a big fall back with injuries the next year) and if you don't you're almost better making the bottom 6 so you have some currency at the draft/trade table. Another middle 6 result will probably achieve little.

 

[pieman123]

West Coast Midfield >>>>>>>>> Pies Midfield

Pendles would be the only Pie mid better than his direct opponent now days, Sidebottom would break even.

Sadly for the Pies we have a better forward line and a better back line as well.

Yeh nah.

 

[ronpingwins]

West Coast did try in trade week from what we've heard. There were concrete offers for Christensen/Varcoe/Malceski, but they wanted to move elsewhere. There were also Coniglio rumours and I know for a fact that there was a contract on the table for Tom Mitchell. Have a look at the list as well, for some of the players the only value was Sinclair and they would be silly to give up an early pick for Varcoe or someone of that ilk.

 

[Kram]

West Coast did try in trade week from what we've heard. There were concrete offers for Christensen/Varcoe/Malceski, but they wanted to move elsewhere. There were also Coniglio rumours and I know for a fact that there was a contract on the table for Tom Mitchell. Have a look at the list as well, for some of the players the only value was Sinclair and they would be silly to give up an early pick for Varcoe or someone of that ilk.

Pfft as if mate. According to Big Footy they just spent the week with the Freo guys checking out the Melbourne pubs.

 

[juss]

West Coast Midfield >>>>>>>>> Pies Midfield

Pendles would be the only Pie mid better than his direct opponent now days, Sidebottom would break even.

Sadly for the Pies we have a better forward line and a better back line as well.

Strongly disagree, Pendlebury, Swan and Sidebottom would be the Pies top 3 Id say, which for me is comfortably better than the Eagles best 3.
Swan had a bit of a shocker in 2014 but I expect him to bounce back.

 

[Power Raid]

Pfft as if mate. According to Big Footy they just spent the week with the Freo guys checking out the Melbourne pubs.

You would think they would of had the decency of writing a review of the pubs for the WA public.

 

[mike123]

Just because it makes me sick to see McGinnnity listed in a potential Eagles team, thought I'd reply with what I consider to be the midfield of our likely best 22:

HB: Hurn XXXX Ellis
C: Rosa Selwood Gaff
R: Naitanui Yeo Shuey
HF: Masten XXXX LeCras

I: XXXX Priddis Wellingham
S: Sheppard

Why is the Brownlow medallist on the bench?

He should start ahead of Selwood.

 

[Kwality]

A full pre season for NicNat changes the dynamic of this midfield.

 

[Happy Mastenator]

Strongly disagree, Pendlebury, Swan and Sidebottom would be the Pies top 3 Id say, which for me is comfortably better than the Eagles best 3.
Swan had a bit of a shocker in 2014 but I expect him to bounce back.

Nic Nat + Lycett >>>>> witts + Grundy
Priddis << pendles
Shuey = Sidebottom

Who knows with swan but a 31 year old with a history of not taking the best care of himself and not loving the game isn't probably the best odds for bouncing back.

After that who have they got. They'll be relying on others taking massive steps

We've got players like gaff, masten, scooter, rosa, Yeo who would all walk straight into the pies midfield.

Pies midfield was carried bu having 3 superstars, beams is gone, swan looks like he's no longer a superstar.

 

[Forward Press]

The mere fact that the Pies have Scott Pendlebury makes their midfield just as good, if not better than ours. Every team would trade all their draft picks for him if he ever became available on the free market.

They will adapt to cope with the loss of Beams - heck, they missed him for just about all of 2013 and still made the finals. Swan is done, though.

 

[WCErevival]

Why is Sinclair listed in amongst our midfielders?

 

[Schraderbrau]

West Coast Midfield >>>>>>>>> Pies Midfield

Pendles would be the only Pie mid better than his direct opponent now days, Sidebottom would break even.

Sadly for the Pies we have a better forward line and a better back line as well.

Don't delude yourself. If your midfield was not one of the worst in the AFL you would have easily made the 8. Gaff and Masten make Sidebottom look like Glenn Archer. The rest can't kick.

 

[kranky al]

I bet if someone PosteD a thReaD about theIr favourite Ice cream flavour you'd Still find a way to make it about Priddis.

Give it a rest, dude, it's the off-season.

In a discussion about west coasts midfield woes.........entitled does west coast have the worst midfield in the league .......... He dares to mention the plodder........

I don't even......

 

[Dazb86]

Midfields are pretty easy to fix. You don't have to waste years of development on them like you do for the talls.

 

[Forward Press]

In a discussion about west coasts midfield woes.........entitled does west coast have the worst midfield in the league .......... He dares to mention the plodder........

I don't even......

You should compile a Priddis highlights video for Brownlow night.

 

[ep2018]

Midfields are pretty easy to fix. You don't have to waste years of development on them like you do for the talls.

We have average recruiters though.