Analysis Assessing the Midfield

[FKASC]

Don Pyke taught Suma

 

[squashface]

Don Pyke taught Suma

Sam Mitchell taught Pyke

 

[RookiePick]

Simpson taught Mitchell

 

[THE A5]

Is there anyone in our midfield bar Yeo that can play a Libba sorta role for us? That dogs midfield has gone to another level this year and Libba has played a huge role in that regards. Yeo, Shuey and Kelly are not only our three best mids but also our three best extractors. Unfortunately all three have/will miss large chunk of the year via injury and we need to find a way to lessen the burden on them when they come back into the side.

 

[Dylan82]

Is there anyone in our midfield bar Yeo that can play a Libba sorta role for us? That dogs midfield has gone to another level this year and Libba has played a huge role in that regards. Yeo, Shuey and Kelly are not only our three best mids but also our three best extractors. Unfortunately all three have/will miss large chunk of the year via injury and we need to find a way to lessen the burden on them when they come back into the side.

That would be Sheed.

When eventually Yeo, Shuey and Kelly are all available in the same team, Dom will be able to fly under the radar of opposition focus and facilitate such an extractive role.

 

[DanWCE]

Is there anyone in our midfield bar Yeo that can play a Libba sorta role for us? That dogs midfield has gone to another level this year and Libba has played a huge role in that regards. Yeo, Shuey and Kelly are not only our three best mids but also our three best extractors. Unfortunately all three have/will miss large chunk of the year via injury and we need to find a way to lessen the burden on them when they come back into the side.

Jack Darling

 

[THE A5]

That would be Sheed.

When eventually Yeo, Shuey and Kelly are all available in the same team, Dom will be able to fly under the radar of opposition focus and facilitate such an extractive role.

I mean he could and that 2018 finals series his contested game improved massively but yeah it gonna be one where you are robbing his foot skills in space to better suit the side. The one I was sorta thinking of was Redden as he has done it at the lions but importantly has that defensive edge in his game that Sheed really lacks.

 

[Ishmael_]

One good thing about the midfield injury crisis this year, is that Sheed is playing career best footy, Redden close enough to, NN about the same and Gaff as well.

Yeo is starting to build now (our best and most important player), Kelly and Shuey to come back. If we can sneak a couple of wins in the next couple of weeks undermanned and get the full complement back, that engine room is going to be mighty formidable by the end of the year.

 

[THE A5]

One good thing about the midfield injury crisis this year, is that Sheed is playing career best footy, Redden close enough to, NN about the same and Gaff as well.

Yeo is starting to build now (our best and most important player), Kelly and Shuey to come back. If we can sneak a couple of wins in the next couple of weeks undermanned and get the full complement back, that engine room is going to be mighty formidable by the end of the year.

This is a tough one cause you're absolutely right but IMO a midfield of NN, Kelly, Redden, sheed a and Gaff should theoretically be a lot more competitive that they're. The lack of decent depth outside of the core has hurt us too but these guys have had some seriously poor games( bar NN)and they seem to comp when the team needs them to stand up.

 

[Reminiscence]

An interesting one to think about with everyone raving about 190 cm mids being the next big thing for the past few years (Bont, Pendles, Cripps), i wonder if WCE have begun drafting taller for their mids.

Current crop of our best mids / Wingers:
Brander - 196 CM
Yeo - 190 CM
Redden - 190 CM
Sheed - 186 CM
TK - 182 CM
Gaff - 184CM
Shuey- 183 CM

Youth and Development:
XON - 186 CM
Edwards - 188 CM
Trew - 187 CM
Ainsworth - 185 CM


There's some serious size to the Eagles, both now and in the future.

 

[Matera92]

An interesting one to think about with everyone raving about 190 cm mids being the next big thing for the past few years (Bont, Pendles, Cripps), i wonder if WCE have begun drafting taller for their mids.

Current crop of our best mids / Wingers:
Brander - 196 CM
Yeo - 190 CM
Redden - 190 CM
Sheed - 186 CM
TK - 182 CM
Gaff - 184CM
Shuey- 183 CM

Youth and Development:
XON - 186 CM
Edwards - 188 CM
Trew - 187 CM
Ainsworth - 185 CM


There's some serious size to the Eagles, both now and in the future.

It's a shame that Ainsworth weighs only 185grams.

Boy needs some meat on him.

 

[THE A5]

It's a shame that Ainsworth weights only 185grams.

Boy needs some meat on him.

watch him go back to the wafl and actually look like a normal mid.

 

[xInfected_Virus]

That would be Sheed.

When eventually Yeo, Shuey and Kelly are all available in the same team, Dom will be able to fly under the radar of opposition focus and facilitate such an extractive role.

Personally, I don't think Sheed operates best as that primary extractor, he operates best in space using his kicking ability and as a receiver at the stoppage from the likes of Nic Nat and whoever is that primary extractor. I reckon as THE A5 said, Redden would have to be our primary extractor for the likes of Shuey, Yeo, Sheed, Kelly and Gaff to operate more optimally from Nic Nat's tap work and around the contest in general. Yeo would be best suited for that role but is on managed minutes and can be very impactful up forward where he can create a marking contest and pressure ground level.

 

[FKASC]

Personally, I don't think Sheed operates best as that primary extractor, he operates best in space using his kicking ability and as a receiver at the stoppage from the likes of Nic Nat and whoever is that primary extractor. I reckon as THE A5 said, Redden would have to be our primary extractor for the likes of Shuey, Yeo, Sheed, Kelly and Gaff to operate more optimally from Nic Nat's tap work and around the contest in general. Yeo would be best suited for that role but is on managed minutes and can be very impactful up forward where he can create a marking contest and pressure ground level.

100% this

Libba dives into the bottom of packs to extract the footy. None of our mids bar our ruckman does that

 

[wce4premiership]

Personally, I don't think Sheed operates best as that primary extractor, he operates best in space using his kicking ability and as a receiver at the stoppage from the likes of Nic Nat and whoever is that primary extractor. I reckon as THE A5 said, Redden would have to be our primary extractor for the likes of Shuey, Yeo, Sheed, Kelly and Gaff to operate more optimally from Nic Nat's tap work and around the contest in general. Yeo would be best suited for that role but is on managed minutes and can be very impactful up forward where he can create a marking contest and pressure ground level.

Sheed is a good stoppage player, helped by Naitanui, but not so good once the ball is free flowing and contested outside of the stoppage. Not to say that he can't win a contested ball, but doesn't have the physical presence to do it with authority.

At stoppages though, with his long arms and generally good handball skills in tight, he is very good at feeding the other players.

 

[THE A5]

Sheed is a good stoppage player, helped by Naitanui, but not so good once the ball is free flowing and contested outside of the stoppage. Not to say that he can't win a contested ball, but doesn't have the physical presence to do it with authority.

At stoppages though, with his long arms and generally good handball skills in tight, he is very good at feeding the other players.

TBF Nic Nat makes every mid better at stoppages. He's such a tease as a mid. ATM he is a genuine B grade mid but yeah when he is on his stoppage work can be elite( like late 2018/early 2019) and his outside link up work and kicking can be so damaging too. Unfortunately he hasn't put those two parts of his game together for a prolong period. Maybe I'm being harsh but I was low key expecting him to take his game to another level this season and be one of the leaders in the midfield. His numbers this year have been good and he's our 3rd ranked player in coaches votes but some of his efforts in our losses have tarnished my view of his season. He was one of the suspects to go missing when the saints got a run on, didn't show up against the Cats and was quite average against Giants. At 26 and now as a leader he has to be one of those guys that has to stand up for us when we need him to.

 

[wce4premiership]

It's hard for a lot of the players when as a group there are injuries. Kelly stood up multiple times, Redden has only started to recently, Sheed has had some blinders and shockers.

Just needs to close the gap between his best and worst. His best is extraordinarily good.

 

[BlueandGoldforever]

TBF Nic Nat makes every mid better at stoppages. He's such a tease as a mid. ATM he is a genuine B grade mid but yeah when he is on his stoppage work can be elite( like late 2018/early 2019) and his outside link up work and kicking can be so damaging too. Unfortunately he hasn't put those two parts of his game together for a prolong period. Maybe I'm being harsh but I was low key expecting him to take his game to another level this season and be one of the leaders in the midfield. His numbers this year have been good and he's our 3rd ranked player in coaches votes but some of his efforts in our losses have tarnished my view of his season. He was one of the suspects to go missing when the saints got a run on, didn't show up against the Cats and was quite average against Giants. At 26 and now as a leader he has to be one of those guys that has to stand up for us when we need him to.

I would disagree. I think Sheed has been our best player this year and would be leading our best and fairest. He is an excellent extractor and one of the very few players in the team yelling out on the field setting up plays.
He was clearly best on ground on Sunday and he didn’t go ‘missing against the Giants’. Sure, he gave away a stupid 50 metre penalty but I watched him twice to run half the length of the oval to get back to defence to help out.

 

[FKASC]

didn’t go ‘missing against the Giants’. Sure, he gave away a stupid 50 metre penalty but I watched him twice to run half the length of the oval to get back to defence to help out.

His CP and clearance numbers against GWS were his lowest totals for the year -his total possessions and marks were his second lowest for the year.

Also only 2 tackles whilst an outside mid like Josh Kelly laid 8.

Sheed’s games with less than 10 contested possessions and less than 5 clearances are also the games where we get bullied in the contest (GWS, Geelong, St Kilda, Adelaide).

Sheed is a barometer for our midfield - the only thing that’s uncertain is whether our midfield is beaten because he’s not performing, or he’s not performing because it’s getting beaten.

Eventually he’ll need to be accountable for option A as he moves into senior midfielder territory

 

[BlueandGoldforever]

His CP and clearance numbers against GWS were his lowest totals for the year -his total possessions and marks were his second lowest for the year.

Also only 2 tackles whilst an outside mid like Josh Kelly laid 8.

Sheed’s games with less than 10 contested possessions and less than 5 clearances are also the games where we get bullied in the contest (GWS, Geelong, St Kilda, Adelaide).

Sheed is a barometer for our midfield - the only thing that’s uncertain is whether our midfield is beaten because he’s not performing, or he’s not performing because it’s getting beaten.

Eventually he’ll need to be accountable for option A as he moves into senior midfielder territory

Not every game should be judged by stats. He was our fourth highest possession winner on the day. Gaff had one less tackle than him; Kelly had one more. Big deal.
I watched the game live and he was better on the day than Gaff and Redden for starters.

 

[mattyc75]

His CP and clearance numbers against GWS were his lowest totals for the year -his total possessions and marks were his second lowest for the year.

Also only 2 tackles whilst an outside mid like Josh Kelly laid 8.

Sheed’s games with less than 10 contested possessions and less than 5 clearances are also the games where we get bullied in the contest (GWS, Geelong, St Kilda, Adelaide).

Sheed is a barometer for our midfield - the only thing that’s uncertain is whether our midfield is beaten because he’s not performing, or he’s not performing because it’s getting beaten.

Eventually he’ll need to be accountable for option A as he moves into senior midfielder territory

Sheed can find the footy and lord knows he's more hungry than any forward for a goal,i guess the problem is when we are down on our midfield leaders like shuey and yeo.
Leaving the heavy work to sheed just isnt his forte
Being in and around the ball constantly you should be getting decent tackling numbers to go with your disposals

Sent from my SM-G973F using Tapatalk

 

[FKASC]

Not every game should be judged by stats. He was our fourth highest possession winner on the day. Gaff had one less tackle than him; Kelly had one more. Big deal.
I watched the game live and he was better on the day than Gaff and Redden for starters.

If we’re relying on Gaff for tackles we’re screwed. I also don’t rate him or Redden that highly tbh - their unreliable intensity when the heat is on is partly why our midfield has issues in the first place.

You can’t judge everything on stats, but when they correlate with the team’s performance they can help make sense of things a bit

 

[Dylan82]

I have neglected this thread so far this year, so time for some retrospective updating.


Here is the outcome of the 2020 trade period on competition midfields:



The fire-sale of Treloar from Collingwood to the Bulldogs being the only exchange of note.

As a result, the Bulldogs entered the season with a midfield unit that was a daunting prospect in both quality and depth.


The midfield of West Coast remained imposing - however that would only be true if it could get out on the ground.

An injury-riddled preseason was set to continue into the 2021 fixture, with midfield output suffering accordingly.

 

[Dylan82]

At the halfway point, here is how things are currently looking in 2021.

After completion of Round 12 the top 50 under this rating are as follows:


Top 50 players (minimum 3 games played). Refer to the OP for details on calculation method.


No Shuey or Yeo to be found - injuries have cruelled them.

Yet the club still retains three representatives inside the top 50 in Kelly, Naitanui and Sheed.


Indeed, other than injuries, the story for the club so far this season in this respect is the improvement of players from the supporting group.


With Shuey and Yeo absent, the next tier has improved to help carry the load.


That improvement however is still not enough to prevent a significant slide in the club's overall midfield fortunes during the first half of the season.


Note that the club is worst in the competition for beyond the 6th ranked midfielder.


Considering the scale of the injury crisis that the club has endured (missing entirely two players from last years' top 25), it has performed well under the circumstances. With the exception of perhaps only the Bulldogs, any other team in the competition handed the same situation would have been torn apart.

With the prospect of a full complement available during the second half of the season, the midfield of West Coast will raise to another level and impose itself upon the competition once again.

The key question will be if the improvement that has been seen from the supporting group this season will continue once the stars are all available and playing - if it does then the club will be exceptionally hard to beat regardless of venue.

 

[CCJK]

Just after the final centre bounce of the game, B.T. genuinely praised Yeo. It was something along the lines of, "Imagine if they'd only played him the eighty minutes." From start to finish, it looked like he was the only Eagle, barring a few younger players, who could actually stick his tackles. I wasn't sure. It turns out that he was our only player to finish in the top 5 for tackles after the win (5). Edwards and Foley had 4 and 3, respectively. So, no. I don't want to imagine what it'd be like without Yeo in there. It's not so much manic pressure, but attitude, mindset; whatever you want to call it.