Remove this Banner Ad

Game Day 2021 AFL Draft

🥰 Love BigFooty? Join now for free.

You can't have too many mids. So long as they're not all the same type of player you can just push talent to the forward line/wing/defence.

The thing is our midfield depth is wafer-thin. I think after the first injury we are bringing in Stephens, and after the second injury we are bringing in Taylor/Clarke. It won't take much in 2022 for us to be playing a very suboptimal midfield.
 
Sydney is a club that is eyeing off both Josh Gibcus and Ben Hobbs as potential sliders. If both slide to St Kilda’s first, or Essendon’s first, then the the Swans will be busy trying to do a deal. That means the Swans could try and trump the Lions offer, or at the least create a bidding war. Adelaide is set to take Josh Rachele with its selection, but might come to the table and slide back a few spots – though not too far as other teams are keen – in order to gain an advantage later on or next year.

Feels like we have an agreement with the Saints in place?
 

Log in to remove this Banner Ad

The thing is our midfield depth is wafer-thin. I think after the first injury we are bringing in Stephens, and after the second injury we are bringing in Taylor/Clarke. It won't take much in 2022 for us to be playing a very suboptimal midfield.
Not sure this is true. Depending on your best 22, first option is Campbell/Florent depending on who doesn't make the cut. Then maybe Stephens. That's if you do a direct swap. There's other shuffling you can do with forwards who can play in midfield (Heeney, Paps, Gulden etc), or the likes of Cunners straight in (with COR/Fox the replacement), or JMac to the wing, winger into mids.

We should never have gotten rid of Hewett, but when we're quibbling over taking say 4 smalls or 3 smalls and a tall (of which at least 2 are always going to be mids), I think we'll be ok. If we take 2 half backs who simply have no wing or contested potential, a KPD and a small forward, I'd understand some concern, but we're just not going to.

Edit: If we take 2 half backs with no defensive capabilities, a KPD and a small fwd, I take no responsibility.
 
Last edited:
We typically have three mids dominate our inside rotations every year, and we have double that with six players* worthy of having that major role. Yet people are worried about what happens if one of them gets injured.

We're more likely to move Heeney in off a flank or wing, or Florent in from the outside, or give more minutes to Rowbottom or Warner, or try Gulden in there, than we are to give inside rotations to Clarke, Taylor or the 18 year olds we will draft. So if a Mills or a Parker went down with injury, the issue wouldn't be who replaces them on the inside; it would be who replaces their replacements on the wing/half back/half forward flanks. We already have too many players wanting inside minutes than we can actually fit in there - whoever we draft will just join that lengthy queue. This will make them a handy asset long-term, but not much of a factor next year I'd say.

*My six are JPK, Parker, Heeney, Mills, Rowbottom and Warner.
 
That’s all well and good but what happens if 1-2 of those are injured we saw how badly we went without JPK and he’s no spring chicken

What do you mean how badly we went without JPK? He missed two games, one of which we won by 87 points, and the final where our midfield broke even with GWS'. But if you look closer at that game you'll see it wasn't just 1 or 2 injuries to JPK and Mills. Rowbottom & Warner were underdone and only had 7 centre bounce attendances between them off 65 and 62% TOG. They will both be far bigger factors in the midfield next year than they were this year, and Horse has also indicated the same for Heeney. There's three already who will only get more midfield time, not less.

It's not as simple as a few star mids go down so the draftee will get his chance. There are others in line who will likely go inside before Horse turns to a new kid. However for life after JPK (and Parker), it's absolutely worth adding to our future midfield stocks.
 

Remove this Banner Ad

What do you mean how badly we went without JPK? He missed two games, one of which we won by 87 points, and the final where our midfield broke even with GWS'. But if you look closer at that game you'll see it wasn't just 1 or 2 injuries to JPK and Mills. Rowbottom & Warner were underdone and only had 7 centre bounce attendances between them off 65 and 62% TOG. They will both be far bigger factors in the midfield next year than they were this year, and Horse has also indicated the same for Heeney. There's three already who will only get more midfield time, not less.

It's not as simple as a few star mids go down so the draftee will get his chance. There are others in line who will likely go inside before Horse turns to a new kid. However for life after JPK (and Parker), it's absolutely worth adding to our future midfield stocks.

If you get a range of mids it's not a big deal, not every mid will be your inside extractor, you'll have balanced mids, outside mids and wingmen. We did lose a couple this year
 
If you get a range of mids it's not a big deal, not every mid will be your inside extractor, you'll have balanced mids, outside mids and wingmen. We did lose a couple this year
Example pick set:
16 Outside Chesser
31 KPD Aleer (probably need to move up)
39 Inside Dittmar or Outside Warner
Rookie or matched late pick Inside Anderson
PSSD KPP Paddy McCartin
Not everyone's cup of tea, but how a "balanced" draft might look.
 
Example pick set:
16 Outside Chesser
31 KPD Aleer (probably need to move up)
39 Inside Dittmar or Outside Warner
Rookie or matched late pick Inside Anderson
PSSD KPP Paddy McCartin
Not everyone's cup of tea, but how a "balanced" draft might look.

Chester might go earlier, actually don’t mind a few but I like that draft with Aleer being the Hail Mary. Warner won’t get to our 3rd
 
Example pick set:
16 Outside Chesser
31 KPD Aleer (probably need to move up)
39 Inside Dittmar or Outside Warner
Rookie or matched late pick Inside Anderson
PSSD KPP Paddy McCartin
Not everyone's cup of tea, but how a "balanced" draft might look.
Wouldn't be unhappy with Chesser, Alleer and Dittmar/Warner, then Anderson and Paddy. Good mix of coverage. I think especially with Dittmar, they could all be available for us. If not Chesser, then Wilmot (my pref) or Taylor. Only concern with Alleer is whether he's an interceptor like Aliir or can also develop his lockdown game. Sounds like he's the type of player you just let rip though.
 
For what it's worth, if we pick up someone like Brown who sounds like he's not overly dynamic, but is clean, distributes well, fast, good footy IQ and workrate, can use both feet apparently, then I can understand why we picked him if we did. Even if I prefer others. We might see him as a more reliable prospect rather than a more dynamic, less guaranteed one. Our game plan now relies on workrate, positioning to stretch the opposition, good ball use, and a few players with speed to take oppo on, and it sounds like he's got that sorted at least. If he never makes it to the wing or outside mid, then at least he might free up JMac and others to play further up the field.
 

🥰 Love BigFooty? Join now for free.

Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor Taylor
Isn't he just another Stephens? If so we've already got one.
 
For what it's worth, if we pick up someone like Brown who sounds like he's not overly dynamic, but is clean, distributes well, fast, good footy IQ and workrate, can use both feet apparently, then I can understand why we picked him if we did. Even if I prefer others. We might see him as a more reliable prospect rather than a more dynamic, less guaranteed one. Our game plan now relies on workrate, positioning to stretch the opposition, good ball use, and a few players with speed to take oppo on, and it sounds like he's got that sorted at least. If he never makes it to the wing or outside mid, then at least he might free up JMac and others to play further up the field.

Could be a good call. He doesn't excite me and I'd find it baffling if we picked someone like him over a supreme talent like a Sonsie or a Chesser if available. But I also care less about this draft than in recent years, mainly because it doesn't feel as essential. I think we already have the nucleus of a flag-winning side (save for a key defender and my concerns about ongoing player retention.) I also think we have an abundance of dynamic, incredibly gifted players, and what they probably need around them more than anything are some guys who will do the basics well, play selfless roles and do the things that aren't always glamorous. That sounds like Brown.

My only query would be where he plays. Not tall enough to be a key defender, so probably only makes it for his ball use off half back.
 

Remove this Banner Ad

Game Day 2021 AFL Draft

🥰 Love BigFooty? Join now for free.

Back
Top