Who is our most important player in the....midfield?

[Football Tragic]

You would have to think Hopper and Prestia play basically all their time on ground as inside mids. Taranto, Martin, Bolton, Sonsie you would think spend at least some time as inside mids, with possible cameos from Short, Graham, Baker, Maurice Jnr. I am most interested to see how Trent is deployed in all of this. I am gathering he may spend some time in alternative roles as required, especially high half forward and wing, maybe even some half back. Whether those type of roles will suit him I am not sure, but it is hard to see us having 3 players playing all their time on ground as inside mids, given that leaves Martin, Taranto, Bolton and Sonsie plus others to wax a single inside mid berth.

I'd be hoping Taranto spends a decent amount of time as an inside mid too. Given we do have Bolton, Dusty and Taranto as genuine mid/forwards, it will certainly mean our engine room can play out games and be dangerous throughout. Prestia, Hopper and Cotchin can rotate through the bench to ensure the same.

 

[lumpinee]

if Sonzy gets lit,he eventually will,but if it happens to be in '23 even from the bench i dont think we'll lose a game

 

[CotchIsKing]

My hope is those that were playing this year, with the additions of Hopper and Taranto, plus hopefully both the progress of Sonsie and others and Dusty back refreshed, we will not have any one key player that we rely on but a spread of players that can do damage.

As others have noted in this thread there are not only a good number of players that will be able to rotate through, there are a number of skill sets and excitement that should mke the team really hard to match up on and hopefully, play against.

 

[Phar Ace]

I'm going with Sonsie, for the simple reason that we need to start having our younger midfielders stepping up and becoming regulars if we want to maintain long term success

I like it. He's driven, but second year syndrome my only concern - 2024 I would expect him to be stellar in there

 

[kozi]

Was Prestia by a mile before Hopperanto

It's still him but having those two takes most of the weight off his shoulders (hammies) as we can actually cover him now.

 

[DickieKnee]

Chimps been pretty important to us over the years but getting into his twilight years now. Still with the options we have in midfield now we can afford to manage him towards 300 games (needs 14 more).
A fresh Cotchin in the big games will make a difference. Hopper and Taranto give us so many options.

 

[Infamy]

I almost voted for Hopper, but I still think it's Prestia, Hopper will just enable Prestia to shine even more

 

[_RT_]

I like it. He's driven, but second year syndrome my only concern - 2024 I would expect him to be stellar in there

Doesn't need to become a star, but if he can establish himself as someone who is 20th-25th picked and can put together 12-16 games then he's heading in the right direction. Dow is another who is at a fork in the road with his career, could head down the RCD path or he could reestablish himself as a young midfielder with a future

 

[rammbo]

id say Bolton then pickett because we need some pace as there really is alot of snails in there.

 

[Football Tragic]

id say Bolton then pickett because we need some pace as there really is alot of snails in there.

There is a lot of truth to that but we do have a lot of pace on the outside of the contest from the wings, half back and half forwards. So once the likes of Prestia, Cotchin, Taranto and Hopper get the ball out into space by hand or foot, we will move the ball quickly forward.

 

[Football Tragic]

So how does our midfield now stack up against the best? Does it compare with Melbourne's? What about Carlton or Geelong?

 

[Rioli2Rioli]

We will have 4 midfielders that will be in the side that we didnt have in 2022

Sonsie - No pre season and 1st year he will be the player that wins the rising star for 2023
Martin - The GOAT was missing and having a Gap year in 2022 and will come back to show Robbo who's the BOSS
Whopper - The 'BEAST' No longer has to share his position with a 15 other players like he did at GWS
Tarantino - Watch him in 2023 , Will become our next prestia and a star

But to answer the question -Who is our most important player in the....midfield
Jacob Whopper

 

[Rioli2Rioli]

So how does our midfield now stack up against the best? Does it compare with Melbourne's? What about Carlton or Geelong?

Better than all of them

Martin , Bolton , Hopper , Taranto , Cotchin , Pickett , Short , Baker , Graham , Sonsie

 

[Football Tragic]

Better than all of them

Martin , Bolton , Hopper , Taranto , Cotchin , Pickett , Short , Baker , Graham , Sonsie

Prestia

 

[Rioli2Rioli]

Prest ia

Injured

 

[Drunken Wookie]

RCD, will pick him up in the PTSD now that he's decided to try out training for the first time. Reports saying he's porked on 10kg of raw hard pulsating muscle. Ready to tear the competition apart.

 

[lumpinee]

with Taranto.Meatball,Hopper and to a lesser extent Cotch & Bakes rotating thru the midfield , Sonzy, and hopefully Dow,amongst others couldnt of asked the club for a more perfect platform for up n coming youth wanting to take over the reins come 2026 when they'll be absolutely hard bodied and able to go 100 mins @ top speed

 

[rfctigerarmy]

Prestia late out is the most important

 

[Disco_Stu]

Based on 2022:

 

[chriso11]

Nank Will be key next year. It was hands down Prestia in 2022, but we have depth to cover Prestia down with the 2 GWS boys. Lose Nank though and it’s Soldo or broke. Hoping Ivan can rediscover the form from 2019 that saw him nullify the likes of Grundy and Natanui

 

[Football Tragic]

Nank is extremely important to our midfield for his ability to just nullify the opposition ruck at contests if nothing else. Losing Nank would be akin to losing Lynch - they are irreplaceable given our quality lack of depth in his position. Soldo might step up again but I think he is a first ruck nit a 2nd ruck/forward. This is why Miller has taken his spot in the team.

 

[Marcel Proust]

Bolton zero votes is rough

 

[Grrr]

Nank Will be key next year. It was hands down Prestia in 2022, but we have depth to cover Prestia down with the 2 GWS boys. Lose Nank though and it’s Soldo or broke. Hoping Ivan can rediscover the form from 2019 that saw him nullify the likes of Grundy and Natanui

Not quite Soldo or broke. Ryan is a much better prospect than Soldo. About to turn 23 which is a good age for skinny rucks to come on. Pretty mobile and good in the air, not bad off the deck, aggressive and another season of weights to put him around the 105kg mark. Best of all he is a natural ruckman.

 

[Coach_Required]

Nankervis - Hopper - Tarranto - Prestia

Round 1, 1st centre bounce for the season.

How bloody good does that look.

 

[Drunken Wookie]

Nankervis - Hopper - Tarranto - Prestia

Round 1, 1st centre bounce for the season.

How bloody good does that look.

Vs whoever the * Carltons ruck is (seriously?) - Nipple Cripps - John F. Kennedy - I Walsh mahself with rag on a stick.