The best midfield

[Zoom]

Edwards, Lambert not quite the quality of the other 4th and 5th mids

Shane Edwards was All Australian last year. Kane Lambert made the All Australian squad and was judged the 18th best player in the competition last season by the coaches. Brad Crouch hasn’t played a game in like 500 days and Levi Greenwood is a fringe player at Adelaide. I’d take Edwards and Lambert over B. Crouch and Greenwood any day. Then there’s the fact that Martin, Cotchin and Prestia are superior to M. Crouch, Sloane and Gibbs. Oh and Nankervis has Jacobs well covered these days.

 

[Marcel Proust]

Greenwood is the only one i'd have Edwards or Lambert over.
Using the B&F logic would mean Fletcher (2000 B&F) is better than Rance.

Would have the Tigers, along with a long list of others, just below that top 3 group

I wouldnt be swapping Edwards for Jones, Harmes, Adams, Greenwood any time soon

Lambert had a pretty good season last year also in the minor premiership season

Adelaide: Rory Laird
Collingwood: Jordan De Goey, Brodie Grundy, Scott Pendlebury, Steele Sidebottom
Melbourne: Max Gawn, Clayton Oliver
Richmond: Josh Caddy, Trent Cotchin, Shane Edwards, Dylan Grimes, Kane Lambert, Dustin Martin, Alex Rance, Jack Riewoldt

Tom Stewart (Geelong) Alex Rance (Richmond) Rory Laird (Adelaide)
Shannon Hurn (West Coast) Jeremy McGovern (West Coast) Lachie Whitfield (Greater Western Sydney)
Andrew Gaff (West Coast) Dustin Martin (Richmond) Steele Sidebottom (Collingwood)
Patrick Dangerfield (Geelong) (vice-captain) Lance Franklin (Sydney) (captain) Robbie Gray (Port Adelaide)
Jack Gunston (Hawthorn) Jack Riewoldt (Richmond) Luke Breust (Hawthorn)
Max Gawn (Melbourne) Patrick Cripps (Carlton) Tom Mitchell (Hawthorn)
Shaun Higgins (North Melbourne) Shane Edwards (Richmond)
Brodie Grundy (Collingwood) Clayton Oliver (Melbourne)
Adam Simpson (West Coast)

 

[Giant Pete]

Close one...
I think it is:
Collingwood
Melbourne
Richmond
Geelong

Not sure where ours sits... Ward, Coniglio, Kelly, Taranto, Whitfield and Hopper.. no standout ruck. We are probably middle of the pack. We probably don’t have as many real contested players like the dees but guys like Kelly and Whitfield are extremely damaging with a tiny bit of space.

 

[Giant Pete]

Close one...
I think it is:
Collingwood
Melbourne
Richmond
Geelong

Not sure where ours sits... Ward, Coniglio, Kelly, Taranto, Whitfield and Hopper.. no standout ruck. We are probably middle of the pack. We probably don’t have as many real contested players like the dees but guys like Kelly and Whitfield are extremely damaging with a tiny bit of space.

Whilst talent is obviously important, I think it’s more about collective maturity and structures implemented.

 

[RAPPA]

Big year for Petracca. Time to take the next step and get to the Oliver-Brayshaw level or thereabouts.

 

[Go the Guts]

Shane Edwards was All Australian last year. Kane Lambert made the All Australian squad and was judged the 18th best player in the competition last season by the coaches. Brad Crouch hasn’t played a game in like 500 days and Levi Greenwood is a fringe player at Adelaide. I’d take Edwards and Lambert over B. Crouch and Greenwood any day. Then there’s the fact that Martin, Cotchin and Prestia are superior to M. Crouch, Sloane and Gibbs. Oh and Nankervis has Jacobs well covered these days.

Lol. Levi Greenwood. Best you stop commenting on the crows. you know bugger all about us.

 

[sr36]

Think you are underrating Essendon a little bit.

We haven't got a gun ruck but we have a better ruck then GWS, Geelong and Western Bulldogs, so that gives us a leg up on those sides.

Zach Merrett
Dyson Heppell
Dylan Shiel
David Zaharakis
Devon Smith


Depth with
Andy McGrath
Darcy Parish
David Myers
Josh Begley

A bit too outside for my taste.

 

[MitchRobinson12]

A bit too outside for my taste.

Agreed would get mauled in centre bounces against the better midfields.

 

[Alphonse_]

Wouldn't swap Carlton's midfield for any other team's in the league, in terms of long term success, it's more stacked than Dolly Parton and Katy Perry's young lovechild adult daughter.

But right now, I suspect Collingwood's is a cut above everyone else's (and I hate saying it), Pies have better mid depth than anyone else in this league (in my opinion)

 

[Alphonse_]

Shane Edwards was All Australian last year. Kane Lambert made the All Australian squad and was judged the 18th best player in the competition last season by the coaches. Brad Crouch hasn’t played a game in like 500 days and Levi Greenwood is a fringe player at Adelaide. I’d take Edwards and Lambert over B. Crouch and Greenwood any day. Then there’s the fact that Martin, Cotchin and Prestia are superior to M. Crouch, Sloane and Gibbs. Oh and Nankervis has Jacobs well covered these days.

Shane Edwards (gun player as he is) doesn't qualify as a midfielder (in my opinion anyway)

 

[sr36]

Seems like the OP is confusing team with midfield a bit. West Coast were the best team last year but they don't have the best midfield. It doesn't have to be given their strength in other areas. .

WCE midfield doesn't look particularly impressive on paper. But most seem to have Melbourne and Collingwood's midfield at the top of the list. In last year's prelim, WCE midfield gave Melbourne the mother of all hidings and then in the grand final their midfiled had a pretty comfortable win against the Magpie midfield. IMO their opposition analysis is outstanding and they execute the defensive half of the midfield equation exceptionally well. They do a great job of identifying and shutting down opposition key playmakers and thus end up winning the midfield battle.

 

[kaiserchief13]

I'd have Eagles over Crows purely because Jacobs is cooked but if the Crows can keep the Crouch brothers injury free geez they'll have a good side.

Crows midfield is too one paced. Sloane is the only one with a bit of speed and x factor though he's not that quick.

 

[Brend81]

Big year for Petracca. Time to take the next step and get to the Oliver-Brayshaw level or thereabouts.

If that happens then the dees play off in the grand final imo

 

[iGNITER]

Not sure why Carlton are even mentioned here. Pretty irrelevant at the moment. Well, they have been for quite a while now and I don't see that changing in 2019.

 

[Fadge]

Wouldn't swap Carlton's midfield for any other team's in the league, in terms of long term success, it's more stacked than Dolly Parton and Katy Perry's young lovechild adult daughter.

But right now, I suspect Collingwood's is a cut above everyone else's (and I hate saying it), Pies have better mid depth than anyone else in this league (in my opinion)

Not sure why Carlton are even mentioned here. Pretty irrelevant at the moment. Well, they have been for quite a while now and I don't see that changing in 2019.

Only a Carlton supporter wouldn't swap their own midfield with any other team in the comp.

Hope and youth >>> proven ability at the level.

 

[Zoom]

Shane Edwards (gun player as he is) doesn't qualify as a midfielder (in my opinion anyway)

What is he then?

 

[Jesslc]

It has to be Collingwood or GWS.

 

[Jesslc]

Shane Edwards was All Australian last year. Kane Lambert made the All Australian squad and was judged the 18th best player in the competition last season by the coaches. Brad Crouch hasn’t played a game in like 500 days and Levi Greenwood is a fringe player at Adelaide. I’d take Edwards and Lambert over B. Crouch and Greenwood any day. Then there’s the fact that Martin, Cotchin and Prestia are superior to M. Crouch, Sloane and Gibbs. Oh and Nankervis has Jacobs well covered these days.

shocker that you rate the tigers players better than the Adelaide players.

 

[Zoom]

shocker that you rate the tigers players better than the Adelaide players.

So does the All Australian selectors and coaches and I’m guessing the overwhelming majority of the football world does too, but yeah I am completely biased

 

[Jesslc]

So does the All Australian selectors and coaches and I’m guessing the overwhelming majority of the football world does too, but yeah I am completely biased

Id take Sloane, Gibbs and Crouch.

 

[footyfan1978]

Big year for Petracca. Time to take the next step and get to the Oliver-Brayshaw level or thereabouts.

Yep, want to see him become a proper mid, at least for a quarter or two a game. Until then Dees might not go as far as they should into September.
Really like watching him play but always expect more from him.

 

[Art OF war]

Am I the only one who thinks Viney is better than Oliver? One of the reasons why I think WCE tagged him instead of Oliver in the Prelim. A full season of Viney into Melbourne will be significant for Melbourne's top 2 chances this year.

 

[Trav 20]

Am I the only one who thinks Viney is better than Oliver? One of the reasons why I think WCE tagged him instead of Oliver in the Prelim. A full season of Viney into Melbourne will be significant for Melbourne's top 2 chances this year.

I suspect I get to see Oliver live more than you.

I've been following the Dees since the 1970s and Oliver is the best midfielder I've seen in Melbourne in that time. Daylight second. And I love Viney, who's unquestionably our spiritual leader.

Not including Flower, as wingmen were different in those days.

 

[Zoom]

Id take Sloane, Gibbs and Crouch.

Over Martin, Cotchin and Prestia?

Gibbs, Sloane & M. Crouch:
4 x Best & Fairests
2 x All Australian

Martin, Cotchin & Prestia
2 x Brownlow Medals
1 x Norm Smith
3 x Premierships
2 x AFLCA Player of the year
4 x All Australian
5 x Best & Fairests
1 x Leigh Matthews Trophy

The Richmond trio are way more decorated despite being vastly younger. You’re having a laugh.

 

[Joao]

Got to be Freo. Won all the midfield stats except hitouts vs Pies without Fyfe and Sandilands...