Aussie Rules footy terminology: 'Inside midfielder'

[Smiling Buddha]

Hello friends.

It seems to me that in many ways our great sport is decades behind other codes. From the ubiquity of zonal strategies, to television broadcast production values, and many things in between - including, I would argue, common understandings of basic terminology.

I think you, the good people of bigfooty, can help to rectify this. So I come to you with a question:

What does the term 'inside midfielder' mean to you? Or, if you prefer, what should it mean?

It seems to me there are several schools of thought on this. One says that an 'inside midfielder' is a type of footballer: one who can regularly win contested ball at stoppages, but is somewhat lacking in ability to win/damage with possession in open space. Another says that an inside midfielder has the contested ball-winning skills but can also have the 'outside' game as well and still be an 'inside mid'.

A very different school of thought says that an 'inside midfielder' is not a type of player but a role; that is, a team will have one or two (or more) designated players, whoever is the best qualified for the job in their team, to act as the player trying to win that contested ball in close, as part of an overall midfield setup.

The latter may seem an odd distinction but to those who know football and/or language it is an important one.

What are your thoughts? What does the term 'inside midfielder' mean to you? Who/what is/isn't an inside midfielder and why?

 

[DardySingh360]

A midfielder who gets in and under in stoppages and feeds the ball out to quicker players waiting on the outside to create a clearance

 

[Marlowe]

Someone who plays midfield indoors.

 

[The Swans Blog]

Good example of an inside midfielder is someone like Josh Kennedy, who was at one point the best contested ball winning player. You'd think that inside midfielder would mean in contest only without going both ways as often as other more rounded and flexible midfielders.

 

[Fatrollo]

Generally it's most likely to be a role within a midfield setup or group rather than a particular player, however quite usually the players who are assigned these roles often have the characteristics necessary to be successful as inside midfielders; just like how outside midfielder is a role however is usually filled with players who have particular prerequisites.

An example for my team, Hawthorn, would be Brad Sewell as an inside midfielder and Isaac Smith as an outside midfielder. Yes, you could play Sewell as a running midfielder on the outside of the packs and Smith as an in-and-under midfielder at the bottom, however that isn't effectively utilising the skills that they have as Sewell is too slow without the necessary kicking skills to play as an outside midfielder, while Smith isn't physically strong enough to play as an inside midfielder.

Essentially it is a role in a team that players are often pidgeonholed into as they require different sets of skills to be performed well. There are certain players who are able to play both (Ablett, Cotchin etc.) with absolute ease, however often they are fairly preset roles.

 

[The_Reaper]

Someone who spends most of his time in the packs- either getting a quick clearance or locking it in.

Whereas an outside player is normally the bloke who receives the quick clearance and is hopefully the person kicking to your forwards.

Someone like Priddis is and inside midfielder. Some like Embley is an outside midfielder.

 

[Jakko]

It means players like Voss, Riccuito, Black, Pendlebury.

Guys who can shark the in close spillage or hitout and feed the ball to the runners and linkers while opponets hang or bounce off them.

 

[PumpyChowdown]

OLD POSITIONS:

Back Pocket -- Full Back -- Back Pocket​

Half Back Flank -- Centre Half Back -- Half Back Flank​

Wing -- Centre -- Wing​

Half Forward Flank -- Centre Half Forward -- Half Forward Flank​

Forward Pocket -- Full Forward -- Forward Pocket​

Ruck -- Ruck Rover -- Rover​

NEW POSITIONS:

Small Defender -- Shut Down Defender -- Third Tall Defender​

Rebounding Defender -- Key Position Defender -- Quarterback​

Outside Mid -- Inside Mid -- Outside Mid​

Defensive Forward -- Key Position Forward - High Half Forward​

Small Forward -- Stay-at-home Forward -- Resting Ruckman​

Ruck -- Inside Mid -- Inside Mid​

 

[TheRedPill]

OLD POSITIONS:

Back Pocket -- Full Back -- Back Pocket​

Half Back Flank -- Centre Half Back -- Half Back Flank​

Wing -- Centre -- Wing​

Half Forward Flank -- Centre Half Forward -- Half Forward Flank​

Forward Pocket -- Full Forward -- Forward Pocket​

Ruck -- Ruck Rover -- Rover​

NEW POSITIONS:

Small Defender -- Shut Down Defender -- Third Tall Defender​

Rebounding Defender -- Key Position Defender -- Quarterback​

Outside Mid -- Inside Mid -- Outside Mid​

Defensive Forward -- Key Position Forward - High Half Forward​

Small Forward -- Stay-at-home Forward -- Resting Ruckman​

Ruck -- Inside Mid -- Inside Mid​

I like. Only thing it needs is more forwards to be 'mercurial'.

 

[Engimal]

OLD POSITIONS:

Back Pocket -- Full Back -- Back Pocket​

Half Back Flank -- Centre Half Back -- Half Back Flank​

Wing -- Centre -- Wing​

Half Forward Flank -- Centre Half Forward -- Half Forward Flank​

Forward Pocket -- Full Forward -- Forward Pocket​

Ruck -- Ruck Rover -- Rover​

NEW POSITIONS:

Small Defender -- Shut Down Defender -- Third Tall Defender​

Rebounding Defender -- Key Position Defender -- Quarterback​

Outside Mid -- Inside Mid -- Outside Mid​

Defensive Forward -- Key Position Forward - High Half Forward​

Small Forward -- Stay-at-home Forward -- Resting Ruckman​

Ruck -- Inside Mid -- Inside Mid​

Where's the 'Wide Receiver'?

 

[Jamurp]

OLD POSITIONS:

Back Pocket -- Full Back -- Back Pocket​

Half Back Flank -- Centre Half Back -- Half Back Flank​

Wing -- Centre -- Wing​

Half Forward Flank -- Centre Half Forward -- Half Forward Flank​

Forward Pocket -- Full Forward -- Forward Pocket​

Ruck -- Ruck Rover -- Rover​

NEW POSITIONS:

Small Defender -- Shut Down Defender -- Third Tall Defender​

Rebounding Defender -- Key Position Defender -- Quarterback​

Outside Mid -- Inside Mid -- Outside Mid​

Defensive Forward -- Key Position Forward - High Half Forward​

Small Forward -- Stay-at-home Forward -- Resting Ruckman​

Ruck -- Inside Mid -- Inside Mid​

And you only hear about 3 of those positions, especially that 'Quarterback'.