How many mids?

[chook2734]

After reading Matt Burgan's draft and being disappointed in the number of mids he has coming to Freo, I thought I'd see how many mids people want to see us draft. I'm talking about actual mids as well, not half-backs or half-forwards or utilities that might be able to play in the middle, but players who are out and out midfielders.

I think we need to take a minimum of 3, maybe 4 and hope that at least 2 or 3 become very good players.

 

[Belnakor]

Draft best available. There will always be a few midfielders in that crop.

 

[Palmer2Pav]

It's still a phantom and I suspect we will tak two to three mids.

There is a gaping hole in our ruck stocks, I dont like many of his choices either.

Not sure he's done the homework this year, Walters will not slide outside the top 30 so having him at 35 is a bit suss IMO.

I would be distraught if we took Mckernan, just doesnt look agile at all.

Im also quietly confident we will pick-up Hamish Sheppard from East Perth who will add to our key backs.

Hopefully after we have nabbed Rich we can snare another good mid, someone along the lines of Ash Smith or James Strauss would suit me.

He's kidding himself if he thinks Ballantyne will go pick 37. 3 clubs showed interest in him, he didnt go to DC, competition is not high for the midget.

There are a lot of holes to plug, probably starting with the midfield, then the Key Back followed by the ruck.

 

[paul8241]

After the end of the second round we'd probably only be drafting Mids that we'll delist in a couple of seasons. There are only so many opportunities that they'll get with Hazelby, Headland, Palmer, Ibbo, Crowley, Schammer, Hinkley, Peak, Mayne and ...<insert pick #3 here>.... Particularly if Mundy and Pav get a run through there as well. Browne, Dunn and Foster should all be pushing hard for selection each week as well.

 

[Chris25]

Browne, Dunn and Foster should all be pushing hard for selection each week as well.

I hope Dunn isn't for pushing for selection next year. I really don't want to re-draft him again.

 

[Palmer2Pav]

Hase and Headland are going to be close to the end in a couple of years time. Peake, well, if we have any new recruits who can't get a game ahead of him, they should probably be delisted next year and not bother with them for a second year. Browne is a horrible footballer, Dunn is gone and Foster, well, yes, hopefully he will be pushing hard.

So far off the mark it's not funny.

 

[Chris25]

Browne isn't horrible. He is just very, very average.

 

[Palmer2Pav]

What's he ever done to suggest otherwise? He's a good WAFL footballer, but at AFL level, he's never shown anything. His kicking is awful and he doesn't find much of the ball to start with. He's very, very lucky to still be on the list.

Err, if you havent noticed his development has been somewhat stifled by hamstrings. His kicking isnt awful, in fact, I think he is one of the better two-sided players at the club.

It's a bit hard to prove yourself in 27 games, most occurring in bunches of 5 or 6.

He hits the ball hard, has good skills and is quite pacey. I dont think it's luck at all. Obviously, the coaches can see what I see and he has been retained.

 

[paul8241]

We want to break the habit of just drafting list fillers. For Browne and Foster this year is probably their last roll of the dice, with a stay of execution due to all those retirements. After investing years of training into them, I think the coach will give them all a last chance to play for a spot this year. At best, they could lift their games or show trade value. I still hold faint hopes that Peake will turn it around, but we'll know how that looks by the end of the pre-season. A third or fouth round mid is less likely to push for a place in the team for a couple of years, at which point better options may be available.

 

[Palmer2Pav]

We want to break the habit of just drafting list fillers. For Browne, Dunn and Foster this year is probably their last roll of the dice, with a stay of execution due to all those retirements. After investing years of training into them, I think the coach will give them all a last chance to play for a spot this year. At best, they could lift their games or show trade value. I still hold faint hopes that Peake will turn it around, but we'll know how that looks by the end of the pre-season. A third or fouth round mid is less likely to push for a place in the team for a couple of years, at which point better options may be available.

Um, Dunn's gone.

It's 2008.

 

[Chris25]

First of all, Dunn has been delisted.

Secondly, Browne is a WAFL player. He is too short and too slow for AFL. And unlike someone like Bell, Browne doesn't win enough of the ball to make up for his weaknesses. And it's fine saying it is hard to prove yourself in just 27 games, but when you have been at the club for 7 years and you have only played 27 games, then there is a problem. Better players than Browne have been delisted because of injury problems.

And lastly, if you aren't going to draft midfielders after the third round then you are going to be very thin in that department and also miss out on some quality players. Seeing Crowley came from the rookie list, I would say there are some pretty good players available late in most drafts.

 

[Bradesmaen]

Harvey said 3 mids in a pre-draft interview about 8 weeks ago.

 

[Palmer2Pav]

First of all, Dunn has been delisted.

Secondly, Browne is a WAFL player. He is too short and too slow for AFL. And unlike someone like Bell, Browne doesn't win enough of the ball to make up for his weaknesses. And it's fine saying it is hard to prove yourself in just 27 games, but when you have been at the club for 7 years and you have only played 27 games, then there is a problem. Better players than Browne have been delisted because of injury problems.

And lastly, if you aren't going to draft midfielders after the third round then you are going to be very thin in that department and also miss out on some quality players. Seeing Crowley came from the rookie list, I would say there are some pretty good players available late in most drafts.

You've been drinking too much of the water over there pal. Another ill-informed comment.

 

[FreoAzz]

First of all, Dunn has been delisted.

Secondly, Browne is a WAFL player. He is too short and too slow for AFL. And unlike someone like Bell, Browne doesn't win enough of the ball to make up for his weaknesses. And it's fine saying it is hard to prove yourself in just 27 games, but when you have been at the club for 7 years and you have only played 27 games, then there is a problem. Better players than Browne have been delisted because of injury problems.

And lastly, if you aren't going to draft midfielders after the third round then you are going to be very thin in that department and also miss out on some quality players. Seeing Crowley came from the rookie list, I would say there are some pretty good players available late in most drafts.

But Crowley didn't come from the rookie list per se. He was originally picked in the draft and then delisted at seasons end.
They re-picked him up as a rookie to scare some work ethic into him. (As far as I remember. Correct me if i'm wrong)

 

[Palmer2Pav]

But Crowley didn't come from the rookie list per se. He was originally picked in the draft and then delisted at seasons end.
They re-picked him up as a rookie to scare some work ethic into him. (As far as I remember. Correct me if i'm wrong)

You're not.

What astounds me is that people on this board are effectively claiming to be better judges than the current coaching panel.

I can see the talent Browne brings to the table, and so can they.

 

[paul8241]

Um, Dunn's gone.

It's 2008.

Sorry, looking at the list on Footwire. They hadn't removed all the delisted players.

 

[Chris25]

You're right about Crowley. But that was just one example (perhaps not a good one) of midfielders picked after the third round who have gone on to have good careers. You can't generalize and say they will probably get delisted after a couple of years.

In my opinion, Andrew Browne is an average AFL player. If the coaching panel thinks he is better than that, then good for them. I hope they're right. I would love for us to get another quality midfielder. But personally, I haven't seen anything to suggest he will be good. At 25 and after 7 years, I just think it's time to look at younger guys like Hinkley and Foster, who have already showed more at AFL level.

 

[paul8241]

I think it is more the exception that they wont be delisted after a couple of years. We all know about the Kemps, Peverells and Crowleys that play long careers but this is becoming less frequent with the mass media and the science that has been applied to draft camps and training.

The are always anomallies that play there part in delisting like behaviour, attitude or injury, but often it's the fact that they don't make the grade or fit the team structure. The top picks in the draft each are dedicated to addressing the best fit.

They will always give the higher draft picks more time to develop or come good, simply because they look stupid when they have to cut them.

 

[Chris25]

OK, I'm with you now. But I think that may be a problem at other clubs, but Fremantle have shown that are willing to give players more time than others might. With the exception of Collard and Mourish obviously.

Guys like Browne, Webster, Duffield, Murphy and Campbell have all been given longer to prove themselves, than other clubs might have given. So I think all our draftees will have enough time to show what they can do, no matter where they are drafted.

 

[Belnakor]

You're not.

yes, he is.

What astounds me is that people on this board are effectively claiming to be better judges than the current coaching panel.

I can see the talent Browne brings to the table, and so can they.

The only talent the coaching staff are seeing with Browne is he is going to be better than pick 104 in the draft

 

[Belnakor]

Guys like Browne, Webster, Duffield, Murphy and Campbell have all been given longer to prove themselves, than other clubs might have given. So I think all our draftees will have enough time to show what they can do, no matter where they are drafted.

Browne and Murphy could buy a lotto ticket, they were montys to be delisted until all the retirements came along.

Campbell hasn't realyl been given much of a go - i'd like to see him play like 10 games at least, and cut him if he isn't good enough.

 

[Belnakor]

You've been drinking too much of the water over there pal. Another ill-informed comment.

on the contrary, he is dead right. Browne is too slow, too short and too unskilled for AFL. He also doesn't understand what a second effort is. IF he was fit (for the 5 games a year he is fit) he plays below the level you would expect out of an AFL footballer, and frankly i'm mystified he is still on our list after 7 years.

 

[Palmer2Pav]

on the contrary, he is dead right. Browne is too slow, too short and too unskilled for AFL. He also doesn't understand what a second effort is. IF he was fit (for the 5 games a year he is fit) he plays below the level you would expect out of an AFL footballer, and frankly i'm mystified he is still on our list after 7 years.

I must be watching a different Browne then, the one I see has good pace, runs harder than his opposition and has neat skills. Opinions, opinions.

 

[silverscope]

I voted for the recruiters!!!

 

[Freomaniac]

You've been drinking too much of the water over there pal. Another ill-informed comment.

Yes our water is not the greatest tasting water in the land but we have no choice don't we?

With all our retirements... im expecting 4 midfielders in the national draft and possibly push a rookie early in 2009.