Is our midfield over rated?

[wehavethepassion]

Its one thing winning the ball in tight, congested situations but another to dispose of it correctly and to the right option.

Fyfe, barlow and Neale are good at getting the ball out but we lack consistent distributors of the ball on the outside. Stevie H has played over 100 games but still goes missing for large periods of a game. Mundy also hasn't played consistent footy. Likewise D Pearce.

Club needs to give Tommy Sheridan, Mora and Cam Suttcliff(too good to be playing half back) big
pre seasons to increase the competition for places in midfield. lets not forget youngsters in Grey and Ballard

Also Fyfe and Barlow and to a lesser extent Mundy should spend more time rotating thru forward fifty
because they are good for a couple of goals each and standing 190cm plus make them difficult opponents.

This can only happen if we develop more Mids.

On another note the swans and the hawks both have quality running backs in Malcheski/Shaw(SW) and Burchell/suckling)Hawks) all run and carry and have penetrating kicks ie Malcheski, Burchell and suckling- they all kick goals from half back.

Why not use Stevie H in this role?

 

[The Speaker]

On another note the swans and the hawks both have quality running backs in Malcheski/Shaw(SW) and Burchell/suckling)Hawks) all run and carry and have penetrating kicks ie Malcheski, Burchell and suckling- they all kick goals from half back.

Why not use Stevie H in this role?

Sutcliffe seems much more likely for that.

 

[calaisking]

Nope.

 

[Mr Peabody]

Ross has signalled a few times his desire to get Son Son Walters up into the midfield as well.

 

[Leslie_Chow]

I know we wouldn't have a chance of getting him, but I'd love a Tom Mitchell in our midfield.

 

[Cobbler]

I think our midfield depth is pretty strong.

The emergence of Neale and hopefully continued development could allow Fyfe to play more forward.

A midfield of Neale, Barlow and Mundy is ok with outside run of Pearce and Hill. Crowley is an enigma. Very good shut down player, but really needs to get some of it himself. A few times last night would run past the ball just to make sure his man didn't get it.

Out of those 7 players mentioned only Hill and Mundy have elite passing and vision. The others are more of the chip it short or bomb it long for Pearce.

The possible push for Walters midfield would give us an extra mid with the elite passing and vision we're lacking.

I think we have options and I think the midfield would be the least of our worries.

That said missing Brad Hill in hindsight annoys me immensely!

 

[andrew99]

Ross has signalled a few times his desire to get Son Son Walters up into the midfield as well.

"desire" ?

I desire many things that I'll never get.

For the foreseeable future, Walters playing mid is wishful thinking. Can't afford to lose his goals.

 

[andrew99]

I know we wouldn't have a chance of getting him, but I'd love a Tom Mitchell in our midfield.

We have nothing to trade.

 

[pokerspiv]

Our midfield is excellent. Take any 3 of Fyfe, Barlow, Hill, Mundy or Neale and put them in the centre square we do well.

When Crowley is one of the 3 is when we struggle.

 

[clogged]

When Crowley is one of the 3 is when we struggle.

The elephant in the room.

 

[Righteo]

I know we wouldn't have a chance of getting him, but I'd love a Tom Mitchell in our midfield.

A one paced inside midfielder with average disposal is not the solution.

 

[TheMcManusNose]

Fyfe, barlow and Neale are good at getting the ball out but we lack consistent distributors of the ball on the outside. Stevie H has played over 100 games but still goes missing for large periods of a game. Mundy also hasn't played consistent footy. Likewise D Pearce.

Pretty much nailed it. So much is reliant on Hill that if he is tagged (and he cops the hard tag because of this), we struggle to move it forward accurately. Danyle Pearce has taken a giant, steaming s**t on the game of football the last two weeks, and i'm a big fan of PearceD.

Walters to the midfield is baffling to my mind. He offers far too much up forward for a team that struggles to kick goals.

 

[Belnakor]

Our midfield is excellent. Take any 3 of Fyfe, Barlow, Hill, Mundy or Neale and put them in the centre square we do well.

cept for last night.

Mundy/Hill were MIA in the stoppages in the 2nd half. Fyfe had a port colored saddle on his back the entire game and the other guys didn't still didn't bob up.

 

[Righteo]

cept for last night.

Mundy/Hill were MIA in the stoppages in the 2nd half. Fyfe had a port colored saddle on his back the entire game and the other guys didn't still didn't bob up.

Gee wouldn't you love it if Fyfe copped the same armchair ride Robbie Gray does, gets about as much love from the umps as Crowley and Ballas.

 

[theGav56]

I think our midfield depth is pretty strong.

The emergence of Neale and hopefully continued development could allow Fyfe to play more forward.

A midfield of Neale, Barlow and Mundy is ok with outside run of Pearce and Hill. Crowley is an enigma. Very good shut down player, but really needs to get some of it himself. A few times last night would run past the ball just to make sure his man didn't get it.

Out of those 7 players mentioned only Hill and Mundy have elite passing and vision. The others are more of the chip it short or bomb it long for Pearce.

The possible push for Walters midfield would give us an extra mid with the elite passing and vision we're lacking.

I think we have options and I think the midfield would be the least of our worries.

That said missing Brad Hill in hindsight annoys me immensely!

Is Fyfe forward more really a smart idea? The guy has just won the gong as best player in the afl, and the midfield is the place where he can do the most damage. If we weren't short-staffed in the forward line this would not even be being discussed in my opinion. He is a terrific shock weapon in the forward line as a midfielder, and that is enough for me.

Hopefully we get some immediate improvement in our midfield next season by the availability of Morrabito and Sylvia. Mature and powerful players who if they get themselves available for selection have significant hurt factor. And I fully expect some of the young guys (Ballard, Grey, Sheridan etc) to press hard for selection too. If that means some more minutes of Fyfe forward, then ok, but for me it is already fairly well balanced in terms of where he spends his time.

 

[Square Peg]

I think we have been seduced by the big bodied midfielder narrative. It has progressed us to this point but we can't go the next step.
We lack class, creativity and speed.
Morabito is a bull but I don't think he offers what we most need.
I don't want to heap pressure on a 20 year old but Crozier looks like the main one that can step up immediately. That and Walters into the midfield - hopefully these two will be trying to get their endurance up over summer.
If we can get those two running around consistently with Hilly, that is a big step up in class. Have Fyfe/Barlow/Neale inside, and Mundy floats around as the icing on the cake, we will improve.

 

[Belnakor]

Gee wouldn't you love it if Fyfe copped the same armchair ride Robbie Gray does, gets about as much love from the umps as Crowley and Ballas.

yup but he takes one step with a guy hanging off him and he gets pinged for holding the ball.

 

[downthecorridor]

Yes. It really hurts to admit it but when the game is at its hottest in the big games I think the tendency is for midfield to be overwhelmed.

 

[PeelnThunder]

On Saturday they were bad. Hill quiet, Pearce bad and Mundy under performed. It's ******* finals, why play poor now?

 

[Righteo]

yup but he takes one step with a guy hanging off him and he gets pinged for holding the ball.

I like when he's clearly being held before he even takes possession and is inevitably pinged, ******* farce.

 

[Moist Biscuit]

We are to an extent, take Sandi out of the ruck and we look average IMO. The st Kilda game highlights that.

 

[Mr Peabody]

Duffy and Crozier have shown glimpses and given their time on the list now, surely are due to develop and play more games up forward in 2015. With Pav, Ballas, Mayne and one of the young talls similarly stepping up in the forward line, it will hopefully allow Walters to move into the midfield group.

We could really use his class and pressure up the ground. Adding Walters to Fyfe, Barlow, Mundy, Neale, Crowley, Hill, Pearce & Mzungu makes for a solid mix as I see it.

Just need some talls down back.....

 

[Admiral Byng]

Take Sandi out and we'll just have to find a new structure that works. In some ways having Sandi makes us a bit too predictable, teams sometimes almost concede the hitout and just zone up to tackle or smother our first possession. Happened quite a lot in recent weeks, Sandi wins the tap, a little fumble or a half-smother on our first possession, loose ball falls in the hands of the opposition. That's were we're losing the centre clearances, we get first hands on the ball but can't control it, opposition gets the ball off us and move it forward.

 

[yakka man]

Our midfield isn't overrated it's unbalanced. Too many big, slow, contested ball players and not enough speed, agility and class. Look at all the top clubs and they have speed and skill in the midfield. We definitely need some more outside, classy players.

 

[Taylor]

I'd like to try Hill as the tagger. I know it sounds crazy but I'd back him to break away from the contest faster than his opponent who then has to draw away from the contest to keep him out (win win) or a second opposition player moves to try and take him and we get a free player at the contest (win win).

He played the run with role in his junior days and he has the hurt factor going our way when we are in possession.