Position 2016 Defenders

[Flandersss]

Brisbane seem to have a 47 man midfield rotation this year. Maybe it's Leppa's revolutionary new gameplan. He's going with a rolling maul, Auskick style approach where all 18 blokes just chase the ball around. Who needs structure. Defenders and forwards are overrated anyhow right?

Crazy Leppa strikes again.

 

[Souup]

Brisbane seem to have a 47 man midfield rotation this year. Maybe it's Leppa's revolutionary new gameplan. He's going with a rolling maul, Auskick style approach where all 18 blokes just chase the ball around. Who needs structure. Defenders and forwards are overrated anyhow right?

Almost solely midfield - Beams, Rockliff, Hanley

HFF/Midfield - Robinson, Zorko, Christensen, Bell

I would suggest Rich would get more time on ball before Robinson and Bell.

Let's compare this to Sydney...

Sole midfield - Kennedy, Mitchell, Hannebery, Jack
HFF/Midfield - Parker, Heeney, Cunningham

McVeigh found himself through the midfield at times.

Or Fremantle...

Sole midfield - Mundy, Neale, Fyfe (I know he could be slotted into the next category, but he's mostly a mid)
HFF/Midfield - Pearce, Walters, Barlow, Hill

Add Suban and De Boer who also run through the midfield.

Port Adelaide

Wines, Ebert, Gray, Gray, Wingard, Boak, Polec, Hartlett.

Long story short, most teams go into a game running 8-10 different guys through the midfield. It's really not that hard to imagine Brisbane going with an 8-10 guy rotation through the midfield, with Rich getting more minutes than a few others in that rotation.

 

[Krujan]

Almost solely midfield - Beams, Rockliff, Hanley

HFF/Midfield - Robinson, Zorko, Christensen, Bell

I would suggest Rich would get more time on ball before Robinson and Bell.

Let's compare this to Sydney...

Sole midfield - Kennedy, Mitchell, Hannebery, Jack
HFF/Midfield - Parker, Heeney, Cunningham

McVeigh found himself through the midfield at times.

Or Fremantle...

Sole midfield - Mundy, Neale, Fyfe (I know he could be slotted into the next category, but he's mostly a mid)
HFF/Midfield - Pearce, Walters, Barlow, Hill

Add Suban and De Boer who also run through the midfield.

Port Adelaide

Wines, Ebert, Gray, Gray, Wingard, Boak, Polec, Hartlett.

Long story short, most teams go into a game running 8-10 different guys through the midfield. It's really not that hard to imagine Brisbane going with an 8-10 guy rotation through the midfield, with Rich getting more minutes than a few others in that rotation.

Going by his high number of contested possies & clearances last year, Robbo played as an inside mid. Rich is an outside mid. I don't know how you can say that Rich will get more time on the ball than Robbo, since they are completely different types of mid and Robbo is the reigning equal best and fairest, which he won playing in the midfield.

 

[cdcanman]

Almost solely midfield - Beams, Rockliff, Hanley

HFF/Midfield - Robinson, Zorko, Christensen, Bell

I would suggest Rich would get more time on ball before Robinson and Bell.

Let's compare this to Sydney...

Sole midfield - Kennedy, Mitchell, Hannebery, Jack
HFF/Midfield - Parker, Heeney, Cunningham

McVeigh found himself through the midfield at times.

Or Fremantle...

Sole midfield - Mundy, Neale, Fyfe (I know he could be slotted into the next category, but he's mostly a mid)
HFF/Midfield - Pearce, Walters, Barlow, Hill

Add Suban and De Boer who also run through the midfield.

Port Adelaide

Wines, Ebert, Gray, Gray, Wingard, Boak, Polec, Hartlett.

Long story short, most teams go into a game running 8-10 different guys through the midfield. It's really not that hard to imagine Brisbane going with an 8-10 guy rotation through the midfield, with Rich getting more minutes than a few others in that rotation.

I think you took my post way too seriously...

 

[carnthemlions]

Almost solely midfield - Beams, Rockliff, Hanley

HFF/Midfield - Robinson, Zorko, Christensen, Bell

I would suggest Rich would get more time on ball before Robinson and Bell.

Let's compare this to Sydney...

Sole midfield - Kennedy, Mitchell, Hannebery, Jack
HFF/Midfield - Parker, Heeney, Cunningham

McVeigh found himself through the midfield at times.

Or Fremantle...

Sole midfield - Mundy, Neale, Fyfe (I know he could be slotted into the next category, but he's mostly a mid)
HFF/Midfield - Pearce, Walters, Barlow, Hill

Add Suban and De Boer who also run through the midfield.

Port Adelaide

Wines, Ebert, Gray, Gray, Wingard, Boak, Polec, Hartlett.

Long story short, most teams go into a game running 8-10 different guys through the midfield. It's really not that hard to imagine Brisbane going with an 8-10 guy rotation through the midfield, with Rich getting more minutes than a few others in that rotation.

You can add Bastinac to that list as well.

 

[cdcanman]

You can add Bastinac to that list as well.

Ben Keays, Jarred Jansen, Lewis Taylor, Rhys Mathieson...

 

[Krujan]

Ben Keays, Jarred Jansen, Lewis Taylor, Rhys Mathieson...

All of the below could potentially rotate through the midfield. Lions definitely have a lot of midfield depth. One forgotten player is McGrath, he looked really good playing on the wing before getting injured last year.

Keays
Christensen
Bastinac
Robinson
Bell
Beams
Rich
Hanley
Zorko
Jansen
Robertson
Dawson
Taylor
McGrath
Matheison
Rockliff
Lester
Mayes
Green

 

[cdcanman]

All of the below could potentially rotate through the midfield. Lions definitely have a lot of midfield depth. One forgotten player is McGrath, he looked really good playing on the wing before getting injured last year.

Keays
Christensen
Bastinac
Robinson
Bell
Beams
Rich
Hanley
Zorko
Jansen
Robertson
Dawson
Taylor
McGrath
Matheison
Rockliff
Lester
Mayes
Green

Exactly Gingy. I'm with you.
For people to suggest Rich is going to see drastically increased midfield minutes is just wishful SC thinking. Given where he falls in the pecking order on current ability (arguably as low as 7th), and how much development they still need to get into their next generation, I fail to see how it is possible.
Will he attend centre bounces? Sure.
Will it be many? Unlikely

 

[Big Sauce 21]

Leppitsch training Rich in the midfield. Wont be in the backs, no good at locking down a player. Rockliff, Bastinac and Robinson will be the inside midfielders with Beams, Rich and Hanley the outside. Hanley has been training in the forward line and rockliff can pinch hit up there. There's that many rotations you don't know where players end up

 

[Funky_Kong]

Personally never considered Chris Yarran as he ****ed me over last year with injury and suspension but if you were looking to grab him this year id steer clear as injury has hit him again and is expected to miss a fair bit of footy in the home and away season. There saying he wont be ready until round 7 according to 7 news.

 

[KenTucker]

Brisbane seem to have a 47 man midfield rotation this year. Maybe it's Leppa's revolutionary new gameplan. He's going with a rolling maul, Auskick style approach where all 18 blokes just chase the ball around. Who needs structure. Defenders and forwards are overrated anyhow right?

Rolling maul, good one!

 

[Listclogger]

Sometimes supercoach isn't as simple as this. He averaged 80 coming off an ACL and was hindered with hip issues throughout the season - Of course he's going to have a down year. He also predominantly played off the back flank for the first time in his career which didn't suit him.

It's been said that he'll play mostly midfield this season, has looked as trim and fresh as ever, and he has a point to prove. At the ripe age of 25 entering his 8th AFL season with a full pre-season behind him, I think he's set for a career-best year.

You also mentioned his history, so let's take a look at his scoring history - 4/7 seasons he averaged 85 or more.

To sum up the remaining 3 seasons (the only 3 he didn't average at least 85 in)
2010 - His 2nd season. Averaged 78.
2014 - Played 3 games and did his ACL midway through the 2nd quarter. Averaged 81.
2015 - Year back from an ACL, hampered by hip issues, played out of position. Averaged 80.

With Brisbane on the rise, a full pre-season behind Rich, and a return to the midfield, I don't see why it's so hard to believe that Rich is being picked by many. If i'm not mistaken, he's never been eligible to be picked as anything but a midfielder, so to be able to pick him as a defender makes him a great option. Brisbane also have some very good players in their side such as Beams, Zorko, Rockliff and Hanley, which I would suggest means Rich will receive less attention than in previous years.

I'm predicting an average of around 95.

Thanks for the detailed reply.

Rich strikes me as a player who entered the AFL with a mature body and as a consequence found his level earlier than most. I think we've already seen the best he's got - and it's perfectly serviceable - but I don't see him taking it to the next level.

 

[SC fish]

Shaw + Goldy were the first 2 players I picked, both of them are so far ahead of the other players in their position that it makes them locks.

Same here

 

[Souup]

Thanks for the detailed reply.

Rich strikes me as a player who entered the AFL with a mature body and as a consequence found his level earlier than most. I think we've already seen the best he's got - and it's perfectly serviceable - but I don't see him taking it to the next level.

Completely understand that assessment and I think there's a fair bit of merit to your call. However obviously I disagree. I guess that's the wonder of supercoach

 

[Kadog]

Thanks mate, it's amazing what you can accomplish while your girlfriend's using the bathroom at the pub.

I hope you didn't see G Lyon anywhere

He said gf not wife you banana!

 

[PowerDrafter]

I'm really keen on Tom Langdon as of late, 19 and 22 games in his first 2 seasons and he's now surely entrenched into Collingwood's back 6. If Reid is fit I'd think that that could only assist Langdon allowing him to move to more of a sweeping role than a Mr Fix-It, maybe even a more attacking role. Last season he finished averaging 85, he had 5 100+ scores last season, 102, 109, 126, 100 and 107. He also had another 6 scores over 85. Obviously the concern with Langdon is that he is still young and can go missing, 4 scores under 65 is not a great sign but he holds all the key attributes of a premium defender. He averaged 21 disposals last season, you could only expect that to rise along with his disposal by foot. I'd like to hope that he can fill that gap between his best and worst and push that 90+ average come the end of the year. Thoughts?

 

[Thuggee_Cult]

I'm really keen on Tom Langdon as of late, 19 and 22 games in his first 2 seasons and he's now surely entrenched into Collingwood's back 6. If Reid is fit I'd think that that could only assist Langdon allowing him to move to more of a sweeping role than a Mr Fix-It, maybe even a more attacking role. Last season he finished averaging 85, he had 5 100+ scores last season, 102, 109, 126, 100 and 107. He also had another 6 scores over 85. Obviously the concern with Langdon is that he is still young and can go missing, 4 scores under 65 is not a great sign but he holds all the key attributes of a premium defender. He averaged 21 disposals last season, you could only expect that to rise along with his disposal by foot. I'd like to hope that he can fill that gap between his best and worst and push that 90+ average come the end of the year. Thoughts?

The problem with Langdon isn't Langdon, it is the oversupply of rebounding defenders that the Pies have. One week Langdon will tonne up, the next its Williams, the next week after that it's Oxley and so on.
He is capable of averaging 90 plus but he'll put in a poo ridden 40 point game every few weeks.

 

[Thuggee_Cult]

On the subject of Heath Shaw, I'll tell you all a story about my team last year which may have relevance this year ...

At this stage last year I opted not to pick Robbie Gray in Round 1 as I thought 600k was too expensive for a forward and I could get him cheaper a few rounds in.

Well , he got off to a good start and he averaged not much less than his starting average price and in the end he only dropped about 30, 40k max in the first few rounds.

The problem was that I couldn't trade him in as I had to trade out injured players and other non performing spuds on other lines.

Because he held his value I had to wait a while to get him and I eventually got him in just before the bye rounds, but the damage was all ready done as I missed all of his big scores early on, all because I thought I could have got him for 50k cheaper.

Don't do it. Pay the price. Pick Shaw.

 

[Here2tellyouwhy]

Shaw is the only lock of the whole backline.

Everyone else is old, maybe premo or KPD.

 

[Seymour Skinner]

On the subject of Heath Shaw, I'll tell you all a story about my team last year which may have relevance this year ...

At this stage last year I opted not to pick Robbie Gray in Round 1 as I thought 600k was too expensive for a forward and I could get him cheaper a few rounds in.

Well , he got off to a good start and he averaged not much less than his starting average price and in the end he only dropped about 30, 40k max in the first few rounds.

The problem was that I couldn't trade him in as I had to trade out injured players and other non performing spuds on other lines.

Because he held his value I had to wait a while to get him and I eventually got him in just before the bye rounds but the damage was all ready done as I missed all of his big scores early on, all because I thought I could have got him for 50k cheaper.

Don't do it. Pay the price. Pick Shaw.

I did exactly the same thing.
I also had a dead Deledio sitting on the bench in the opening rounds, couldn't bring myself to make the switch.

Missed Hodge due to similar reasons.

 

[Broar]

My thoughts Re Shaw:

In virtually his entire career he's averaged 90+

Looking at his past history from 2008 to 2014 each season he missed multiple games.

Last season he missed none.

In 13 & 14 he had 22 games out of 37 where he scored 99 points or less with 8 of those under 79 points.

Last season he had 7 games out of 22 where he scored 99 points or less but only 1 was under 79 points but 15 games were 100+.

Last season he averaged 112, his highest ever his next closest was 106 in 07 outside of that its basically 90's/low hundreds.

To me all this shows is yes he should average at least 90 most likely + so he should be a safe pick in that regard particularly over most of the other premos going around.

But it also shows me he had an insane season last year where he scored well above his typical average, missed no games and had only one really low score, can he maintain this? I'd say judging from his past history no, so I expect him to fall - how much, who knows?


In my case I'd also like to have Boyd and its been discussed around here that he's the type of pick where you either pick him to start with or not at all throughout the season and I agree with that and given I can only afford one and I'd like to own both during the season this is what I'm going to do.

 

[KardiniaPark]

He said gf not wife you banana!

You're a banana

 

[PowerDrafter]

The problem with Langdon isn't Langdon, it is the oversupply of rebounding defenders that the Pies have. One week Langdon will tonne up, the next its Williams, the next week after that it's Oxley and so on.
He is capable of averaging 90 plus but he'll put in a poo ridden 40 point game every few weeks.

I wouldn't call 3 rebounding defenders an over supply by any stretch. The Bulldogs played much of last season with as many as 5, Boyd, Murphy, Wood, Johannesen and Biggs. I'd also think that that group of Bulldogs players are much better quality than the 3 Collingwood players stated above. I have no doubt if Langdon moves to a more central sweeping position, much like Matthew Boyd did last year, there is no reason why he couldn't average 24 disposals a game and in excess of 6 marks a game as well. Just like everyone is jumping on the KK bandwagon, general progression puts Langdon around that 90-95 mark.

 

[Great 2008]

Playing Shaw and Goldy makes me look very skinny in other areas. Don't think I can have both (sorry little mexican girl).

 

[Stevi_Tigers]

broad almost a lock should play round one has been one of the best on the track been playing on jr8 in intra club games and done quite well. has a massive tank