Midfield 2026

[Delediodamage]

Just zoomed out and had a long look at our list now the dust has settled on the draft.

I think the three players that can help balance our midfield next season are Hotton, Cumming and Campbell.

These guys have the athletic profile (speed / agility) to add some much needed venom to our ball movement. Their skills complement the senior brigade in Prestia / Hopper / Taranto perfectly.

We have no real classy small forwards so moving Seth upfield isn’t ideal, but I just think he offers to much to be stuck up there in a team struggling to score. Get him into that Lambert style role and let him use his speed and tank from stoppages and he’ll have just as much scoreboard impact IMO

 

[Charlie Pannam]

Just zoomed out and had a long look at our list now the dust has settled on the draft.

I think the three players that can help balance our midfield next season are Hotton, Cumming and Campbell.

These guys have the athletic profile (speed / agility) to add some much needed venom to our ball movement. Their skills complement the senior brigade in Prestia / Hopper / Taranto perfectly.

We have no real classy small forwards so moving Seth upfield isn’t ideal, but I just think he offers to much to be stuck up there in a team struggling to score. Get him into that Lambert style role and let him use his speed and tank from stoppages and he’ll have just as much scoreboard impact IMO

Agree re Seth, if he has the tank I’d play him higher, as you say in that Lambert style role. Get games into Steely/Alger/Peuker up forward.
Next year if everyone can stay fit I see far greater midfield rotations. We couldn’t do it with last years draftees due to injury but this year Lalor/Smillie/Seth/Hotton/Cumming/McAullife will be part of the mix.
Grlj probably hb first season

 

[fargothegreat]

Barring injury, I think McAuliffe is probably the one who is due to break out and become a permanent fixture in our midfield. If his tank allows, I can see him playing a more defensive role in there like we tried with Ross a bit last year.

Hopefully Lalor will spend 50% of his time in the middle, and perhaps we could use Hotton as a centre bounce clearance player who pushes forward?

Hopper needs to spend some time across half forward to give these kids more of a go.

 

[Madtiger2006]

Campbell, Hotton, Green, Peucker, Alger, Mansell, Rioli is a fair group to pick from in the forward line

 

[Grrr]

Barring injury, I think McAuliffe is probably the one who is due to break out and become a permanent fixture in our midfield. If his tank allows, I can see him playing a more defensive role in there like we tried with Ross a bit last year.

Hopefully Lalor will spend 50% of his time in the middle, and perhaps we could use Hotton as a centre bounce clearance player who pushes forward?

Hopper needs to spend some time across half forward to give these kids more of a go.

Don't you mean bench. I'd make a better half forward and Hopper.

 

[4tune8]

There's a bit to like about our list when it comes to players who can affect stoppages around the ground.

Taranto
Hopper
Prestia
McAuliffe
Lalor
Hotton
Smillie
Cumming
Grlj
Campbell
MRJ
Ross
NRT
Peucker
Mansell
Green
Sonsie
Smith
Retschko
Alger
Tresize
Short

Obviously some of those are flankers/wingers, depth and no talls. But we should see an improvement in winning contested possessions, clearances and ground ball gets, which would see us being a bit more competitive.

 

[Wrenny]

*Midfield heights

Smillie - 196cm
Taranto - 188cm
Lalor - 188cm
Hopper - 187cm
McAuliffe - 187cm
Ross - 187cm
Ralphsmith - 187cm
Retschko - 186cm
Cumming - 184cm
Hotton - 183cm
Grlj - 182cm
Campbell - 182cm
NRT - 182cm
Sonsie - 181cm
Peucker - 180cm
MRJ - 179cm
Prestia - 175cm

*pending THE_GUN analysis

 

[THE_GUN]

*Midfield heights

Smillie - 196cm
Taranto - 188cm
Lalor - 188cm
Hopper - 187cm
McAuliffe - 187cm
Ross - 187cm
Ralphsmith - 187cm
Retschko - 186cm
Cumming - 184cm
Hotton - 183cm
Grlj - 182cm
Campbell - 182cm
NRT - 182cm
Sonsie - 181cm
Peucker - 180cm
MRJ - 179cm
Prestia - 175cm

*pending THE_GUN analysis

lalor would be 190 as he has 2-3cm on Martin and Cumming would be 185-186
Seth Campbell & Jasper Alger also look like they have added 2-3cm since being drafted

 

[Wrenny]

lalor would be 190 as he has 2-3cm on Martin and Cumming would be 185-186
Seth Campbell & Jasper Alger also look like they have added 2-3cm since being drafted

Will have to wait for RFC to update their website in the players section to see.

 

[Madtiger2006]

Smilie is 2m now. Dangerous times

 

[beema limapep]

Need to move Hopper out of the midfield to give the others a chance and inject some speed. Needs a perma role role on half forward 80-20.

 

[THE_GUN]

Will have to wait for RFC to update their website in the players section to see.

They are pathetic with the heights and weights when they were allowed to do that
They just put the profile numbers up from before the draft and leave them there and rarely change it.
Conca was the only player i remember them changing from 186cm to 181cm 6 years after he was drafted

 

[beema limapep]

*Midfield heights

Smillie - 196cm
Taranto - 188cm
Lalor - 188cm
Hopper - 187cm
McAuliffe - 187cm
Ross - 187cm
Ralphsmith - 187cm
Retschko - 186cm
Cumming - 184cm
Hotton - 183cm
Grlj - 182cm
Campbell - 182cm
NRT - 182cm
Sonsie - 181cm
Peucker - 180cm
MRJ - 179cm
Prestia - 175cm

*pending THE_GUN analysis

Smillie is 197cm.

 

[RJK Tiger]

Just zoomed out and had a long look at our list now the dust has settled on the draft.

I think the three players that can help balance our midfield next season are Hotton, Cumming and Campbell.

These guys have the athletic profile (speed / agility) to add some much needed venom to our ball movement. Their skills complement the senior brigade in Prestia / Hopper / Taranto perfectly.

We have no real classy small forwards so moving Seth upfield isn’t ideal, but I just think he offers to much to be stuck up there in a team struggling to score. Get him into that Lambert style role and let him use his speed and tank from stoppages and he’ll have just as much scoreboard impact IMO

Can't comment on Cumming but Campbell & Hotton to me are miles off having the tank or bodies to compete in the midfield for more than 10 minutes a game & neither one of them are natural mids. Hotton to me is Shai 2.0 & better as a impact mid who goes into key centre clearances. Seth seems more a speciality forward to me.

Looking at our list im really not sure who our natural midfielders are under 23. Lalor to me seems more like a Fwd first, mid 2nd type. Smillie on paper is but in reality, looks miles off being able to handle the midfield physically too. After delisting Dow especially I'm really surprised we didn't consider Greeves more.

I'm not really feeling this team tbh. Adem clearly has a partilcular style in mind, but if that gameplan fails, i think having a "Plan B" to resort to is going to be very very tough. Think the club should have been more targeting "best available" Vs just "speed"

 

[banzai]

Barring injury, I think McAuliffe is probably the one who is due to break out and become a permanent fixture in our midfield. If his tank allows, I can see him playing a more defensive role in there like we tried with Ross a bit last year.

Hopefully Lalor will spend 50% of his time in the middle, and perhaps we could use Hotton as a centre bounce clearance player who pushes forward?

Hopper needs to spend some time across half forward to give these kids more of a go.

He better breakout this year or he's going to get overtaken rapidly by a whole lot of players.

 

[Delediodamage]

Can't comment on Cumming but Campbell & Hotton to me are miles off having the tank or bodies to compete in the midfield for more than 10 minutes a game & neither one of them are natural mids. Hotton to me is Shai 2.0 & better as a impact mid who goes into key centre clearances. Seth seems more a speciality forward to me.

Looking at our list im really not sure who our natural midfielders are under 23. Lalor to me seems more like a Fwd first, mid 2nd type. Smillie on paper is but in reality, looks miles off being able to handle the midfield physically too. After delisting Dow especially I'm really surprised we didn't consider Greeves more.

I'm not really feeling this team tbh. Adem clearly has a partilcular style in mind, but if that gameplan fails, i think having a "Plan B" to resort to is going to be very very tough. Think the club should have been more targeting "best available" Vs just "speed"

Agree regarding Hotton, hasn’t even had a preseason yet. But we’re not contending anytime soon and I’d prefer to give the kids exposure as soon as possible rather than players we suspect/know aren’t as capable albeit more ‘ready’.

I think you’re underestimating Campbell though, I recon he’s physically capable for an outside mid role in 2026. Whether the coaches view it that way though time will tell.

We definitely need ‘something’ to change though. No point having a slow midfield group that also bleeds clearances. The clearances we do get are often dump kicks rather than handball chains out to runners for effective clearance too. Not like we’re giving much up by injecting some speed IMO

 

[partycorolla]

Smilie is 2m now. Dangerous times

202 now. It's been a couple of hours since you posted.

 

[tiger_tough]

Taranto, Hopper, McAuliffe, Lalor, Hotton, Cumming.

 

[partycorolla]

He better breakout this year or he's going to get overtaken rapidly by a whole lot of players.

I don't think it's that important as he will replace Taranto or Hopper in time... provided he continues to improve his tank and has some injury luck. He is a pure mid, whereas Lalor, Cumming, Hotton, Grlj are part-time impact mids.

I'd like to see Lalor have a 30-70 split mid/forward in 2026, up from his 10-90 split in 2025. Don't think Taj is there physically yet, so a 10-90 split for him is fine. I think Cumming likely to get game time but sort of similar to Lalor in season one, maybe 20-80 split when he plays.

The bulk will probably be TT, Hopper, Prestia, Ross and KmacII. Edit: Smilie a bonus when he is ready but expecting 2027 to be a bigger year of impact for him.

 

[The Vaucluse]

I’m guessing the coach will run with a first rotation of McAuliffe, Taranto, Hopper, Ross & Prestia. I suspect he’ll supplement this group with Lalor, Smillie, Campbell & Hotton, who will have short spurts in the middle to inject some speed and agility. I’m very confident Lalor can and will play midfield, however, at the moment it’s about building the tank and getting his body sound. They wouldn’t give him the coveted number 4, if they didn’t rate his midfield craft.

 

[bc27]

I can’t see mcauliffe giving us a huge amount to be brutally honest. He reminds me of Brent Maloney who played at Melbourne in the 2000’s.

 

[beema limapep]

I can’t see mcauliffe giving us a huge amount to be brutally honest. He reminds me of Brent Maloney who played at Melbourne in the 2000’s.

The way he cuts through lines I think he might be an extremely damaging player....but who knows.

 

[banzai]

I can’t see mcauliffe giving us a huge amount to be brutally honest. He reminds me of Brent Maloney who played at Melbourne in the 2000’s.

Maloney was a solid player. Geelong kicked him out to get the Ottens trade done didnt they? He could have easily been a part of that team that won 3 flags. Also got 19 Brownlow votes in 2011.

I don't think anyone would expect McAuliffe to go to a higher level than that or be AA. He doesn't have to be a star.

 

[wegetpumped]

There's a bit to like about our list when it comes to players who can affect stoppages around the ground.

Taranto
Hopper
Prestia
McAuliffe
Lalor
Hotton
Smillie
Cumming
Grlj
Campbell
MRJ
Ross
NRT
Peucker
Mansell
Green
Sonsie
Smith
Retschko
Alger
Tresize
Short

Obviously some of those are flankers/wingers, depth and no talls. But we should see an improvement in winning contested possessions, clearances and ground ball gets, which would see us being a bit more competitive.

Yeah, it looks okay, but just like the last name, we are going to be too short. If Balta doesn't come back mentally, Gray doesn't come on, and Miller doesn't produce another season like last, and Gib (a wait-and-see) finally turns it around, we will be in trouble down back. And lots to think about up forward height-wise, Faul, Simms, Lynch, only tall forwards we have. So lots to hope for. And don;t talk about rucks! I can see us turning things around in 2 3 years but next 2 will be another struggle.

 

[4tune8]

Yeah, it looks okay, but just like the last name, we are going to be too short. If Balta doesn't come back mentally, Gray doesn't come on, and Miller doesn't produce another season like last, and Gib (a wait-and-see) finally turns it around, we will be in trouble down back. And lots to think about up forward height-wise, Faul, Simms, Lynch, only tall forwards we have. So lots to hope for. And don;t talk about rucks! I can see us turning things around in 2 3 years but next 2 will be another struggle.

It's interesting reading the differing views on our list structure, some are glass half full, others are glass half empty. I'm in the first group, reckon our list structure has balanced out quite a bit this off season after losing talls and gaining speed and ground cover.

I didn't mention talls as this is the midfield thread, but you have severely underrated our stocks.