The MIDFIELD is where its at...

[JAKLAUGHING]

Our midfield is stacked for body and strength. Taranto, Hopper, Dusty, Prestia and Graham but none possess breakaway speed.

Shai does but coach wants to play him more forward. I think that's a bad move. Dow and Baker do have breakaway speed

Now watching the dees Salem played midfield..

Also, Hayden Young of Freo generally plays back, played midfield had 26 possies and kicked two goals. Has pace to burn.

Most teams are loading up with pace in the midfield we seemed to have gone the other way with Shai going out.

Look at Kozy Pickett, he's so dangerous in centre bounces due to his crazy getaway speed. Bolton has been and can continue to be that player for us. Just hope Yze and the coaches see that we looked to one paced v pies.

Jack Crisp of the pies used to play back nowadays in the midfield, has explosive pace.

It's the only time that the 'statue rule' does not come into effect or have an influence...
The center square ball up...
No influence whatsoever...
Once that footy is bounced...
Those chosen players allowed to play in the center square have first dibs at the footy...
The fastest players in/at the center square bounce have the greatest influence on the progression of the game...

 

[JAKLAUGHING]

In fact circumventing the statue rule at the center bounce...doesn't matter the size of the center square players...big, tall, short, muscley...as long as those players are the quickest!
Quickest gets the first dibs of the footy!

 

[JAKLAUGHING]

Come on in...Dow! The player with the quickest hands!

 

[Morro]

Shai simply has to start in the middle and swap out after the center bounce more often than not if Yze wants him forward

 

[rfctigerarmy]

Come on in...Dow! The player with the quickest hands!

Why didn't you just say:

Come on Dow(n)!

 

[Mr Magic]

Our midfield is probably our strongest line with Bolton, Martin, now Baker, Taranto, Hopper, Prestia, then guys like Graham, Dow, Mcauliffe, Ross.

The issue for me is to fit them all in the side, the pure inside mids will be forced to play other roles where they are really not suited to and there is alot of bad overlap with a few guys in terms of ball use, leg speed etc

I disagree, not that we have a atrocious team.

I am not bagging any of the players but I like the reports of Mcauliffe it is more about the other teams and it is a competition.

The Bulldogs have Sanders(gun), Melbourne has Windsor( will be a gun winger), St Kilda Wilson (gun), Duursma looks very good and will grow for North and then there is Reid, that's not downplaying the others and then there are the other youngsters of high pedigree developing and now developed for other clubs

We are not bad but as a collective, other clubs draft deeds have caught up to us I think.

Some clubs could blow us off the park in terms of the midfield in the next few years

I am not knocking any of our players and some will be great for us, but time has caught up with us, don't have prime Cotch anymore and Dusty at the back end, I like Bolton forward, we lack star firepower in terms of the full around package in the midfield.If we did not have Taranto we would be wiped bad I think

We have done well but we need to take our medicine for playing in finals for years. I would throw Kane in early at some stage and see what he can bring Pies style, I like the reports. We have a lot of good role players but lack a few all round gun midfielders, in terms of absolute top liners, I think



Sheezel will be a great player and North are playing him in the backline, teams like this and others are starting to look loaded in terms of prospects going forward.

The Bulldogs midfield is absurd and Bailey Smith is out injured, Harmes is not a bad player and he is fighting for a spot there and look at James Jordan at the Swans getting more opportunity as well as growing in his development

Just in terms of the draft and the midfield, despite losing Angus Brayshaw unfortunately, Melbourne would have been better off keeping James Jordan despite getting Windsor and not have got Lachie Hunter, although it is easy to say now in hindsight