Best centre square starting four?

[J_Moore]

One to look forward to in a couple of years is Maric, Martin, Cotchin and Deledio.

Maric is taking the shine off that one a bit. He's a lovable character, but a Ford Falcon in a field of Lambos.

 

[Bardo State]

I think it's telling that Hawthorn, Collingwood and Geelong have the 'next best four'

 

[The Falcon Strike]

Well if you are going by this criteria West Coast and Collingwood would be 1 and 2

Priddis is averaging 12.5 clearances a game at the moment and Pendlebury 11.5 on their own both players are going at over 75% DE. I would say West Coast is the best just by the way Cox and Nic Nat ram the ball down the mids throats.

The centre square clearances and scores from centre clearances would basically be the best objective measure.

If it is simply the clearance work - then I agree WC would be very close to the top purely on the basis of Naitanui's work in the middle being so dominant - not so much our midfielders.

 

[Patty_Moz]

I don't really rate Kerr all that much anymore but he is very good for midfield depth and I still think the Eagles have the best 4 going around.

Either Cox or Natanui as the ruckman they are pretty both in the top 5 ruckmen atm maybe even top 3.

Priddis/Shuey and I would now put Scott Selwood in their best midfield, I didn't really rate him til this year but he has really come on.

Collingwood next, Geelong still have the best 3 midfield combinations but no ruck division.

As a Freo supporter I am hanging to see

Sandilands/Mundy/Barlow/Fyfe all out there together (its been a long time) and I think this will challenge the best of them.

 

[vonn]

Who do you have to replace Goodes when he retires in 10 years?

Goodes isn't someone you can replace, just try alleviate the loss of... we will worry about this in 8 years time when he retires at the ripe age of 40.

RE OP Collingwood for me, their next best 4 are fantastic. Geelong falls away with the ruck area.

 

[Slattery_20]

"Deledio is a midfielder"
That old chestnut.

Bit like Jason Winderlich's hamstrings, or Scott Gumbleton.

Does
not
exist.

 

[Thommo 42]

Jolly, Pendles, Swan, Ball - great balance.

Ball, Pendles and Swan are all clearance machines with different skillsets. Swanny will hit the stoppage at pace and burst clear, Pendles will be inside making space and looking to feed it out to Swanny and/or wingmen coming in, and Ball will be diving on anything lose or tackling like a madman. Jolly's 2nd efforts wouldn't be in the class of a Nic Nat or Kreuzer though, but apart from Sandi and Nic Nat - he'll rarely give up a clean tap.

Kreuzer, Judd, Murphy, Carazzo I'd imagine would be the Blues preferred starting 4? Quality speaks for itself, but not sure its as well balanced?

I think West Coast is up there with NicNat/Cox + Kerr, Priddis and Shuey. Advantage of the best rucks, combined with a nicely balanced 3 ground level players. Perhaps only lacking a touch in that top end burst of pace to break from a stoppage compared to a Murphy or a Swan. Then again, they have a ruckman for that

 

[gaz15]

Our next 4 is probably Thomas, Wellingham, Sidebottom & Beams which isn't too shabby.

Ours is Lewis, Burgoyne, Rioli and sheils...at least the equal of any next 4.

 

[The Falcon Strike]

Ours is Lewis, Burgoyne, Rioli and sheils...at least the equal of any next 4.

Burgoyne doesn't play much in the midfield for you guys anymore. He plays off the back flank.

 

[gaz15]

Burgoyne doesn't play much in the midfield for you guys anymore. He plays off the back flank.

Fair point, still floats thru there a bit. To be honest, mitch, sewell, hodge and lewis prob take nup 70-80% of the midfield time. sheils, rioli, burgoyne, whitecross etc make up the rest.

 

[lamaros]

Nearly every starting four has a claim to fame and can be great on its day.

Ours at the moment would be Ryder/Stanton/Watson/Hocking - which is currently looking very strong indeed, given Stanton and Ryder's early form. But you can say that for nearly every team in the comp - bar GC, GWS, and maybe a few of the fringe sides.

It's the consistency - in performance and fitness - that separates sides, as well as the depth.

I'm happy with where we are going at Essendon with a second group of Hille/Zaharakis/Howlett/Melksham and a third of Bellchambers/Lonergan/NLM/Myers.

 

[MC_9]

Burgoyne doesn't play much in the midfield for you guys anymore. He plays off the back flank.

He does not start there, but he certainly spends a bit of time in midfield.

Our main HBF would be Birchall, Suckling and Guerra. With Burgouyne, Hodge, Rioli, Lewis all rotating through HBF, midfield and forward.

All teams "2nd tier" midfields would play additional roles on the team, otherwise they would be sitting on the bench for remander of the time.

 

[Silvagnis]

All Time? Can't go past Cox Judd Cousins Kerr - all at their absolute peak.

Pretty hard to go past a midfield with Ottens, Ablett, Selwood, Bartel, Corey, Ling, Chapman, Kelly, Wojcinski and Enright all capable of playing through there.

 

[Thommo 42]

Pretty hard to go past a midfield with Ottens, Ablett, Selwood, Bartel, Corey, Ling, Chapman, Kelly, Wojcinski and Enright all capable of playing through there.

Very hard, unless you have Cox, Cousins, Judd & Kerr available to you

That is an astonishingly good starting 4 that stands up to anything all-time.

 

[doppleganger]

Jolly - Ball, Pendles, Swan
Wood - Blair, Thomas, Sidebottom
Witts/Ceglar - Welligham, Beams, Krakouer actually a great clearance player

 

[The Nostradamus]

If the game is on the line our centre square starting 4 should be Goldy, Wells, Swallow, Boomer

Next 4 would be Hmac, Bastinac, Ziebell, Cunnington/Greenwood/Adams

 

[Tulip]

Sandi, Mundy, Barlow and Fyfe would be right up there IMO

Jamar, Moloney, Jones and Magner has potential as a group, but they seem unable to reach it.

 

[Vince12]

No idea why everyone rates Carlton so highly. Admittedly don't watch them that often but every time I do (big matches), they get murdered in the midfield. Gibbs was made to look silly by Lynch.....

 

[laminex]

Naitanui Priddis Kerr Scott Selwood

All Time? Can't go past Cox Judd Cousins Kerr - all at their absolute peak.

Cox is far better than Nik Nat, So Big Cox, Priddis, Kerr, Selwood on the day gets the job done for mine come close are Carlton and Pies in no order.

 

[Kaiser Powser]

For the first time in years i'm not embarrassed to come on a midfield thread.

Ryder/Watson/Hocking/Stanton

would be our best.

We do need the next four who are younger (Zaha, Melksham, Howlett, Myers/Heppell) to really step up before we can mess with the top midfields though:

Collingwoon, Geelong, Carlton, Hawthorn.

 

[The Falcon Strike]

Cox is far better than Nik Nat, So Big Cox, Priddis, Kerr, Selwood on the day gets the job done for mine come close are Carlton and Pies in no order.

Out of the centre square? Not even close - Naitanui is miles ahead of him.

Around the ground ruckwork, particulary throw-ins, then yes Cox is better.

 

[Scotland]

Far too many people listing their 4 best midfielders rather than actually responding to the OP...

We typically start each match with NN, S Selwood, Priddis and either Kerr, Shuey or Masten as the 3rd midfielder. NN, SS, DK & LS remainst he most dangerous centre bounce combo.

NN/Cox tend to share the ruck duties anywhere from 30/70 to 70/30 depending on the match, Priddis & S Selwood tend to play about 70-80% on the ball and the rest are rotated in and out of the square every few minutes.

With Embley out of action I'd expect to see Gaff and Rosa playing primarily outside the centre square and Masten/Shuey spending more time on the ball than on the wings/flanks.

 

[il Blu]

People seem to comparing Judd / Murphy to Swan / Pendlebury at the moment.... I'm guessing its the upcoming game tomorrow night. Like I said in another thread.... Carlton when comparing the top two midfield combinations is the stronger. But any great midfield group goes as deep as twelve.... And when this is taken into consideration Collingwood in my opinion are the strongest. While both Geelong and Hawthorn have strong midfields as well I think that Collingwood and Carlton really control the centre square better all there other teams in the competition at the moment. West Coast is going through somewhat of a transition period but they would be the fifth strongest. It's only my opinion though - And I'm trying not to be unbiased.

 

[policegetthatman]

Since everyone else is nominating their team, I'll say; Leuey, Rockliff, Redden and Rich is a good one for the future.

 

[il Blu]

Since everyone else is nominating their team, I'll say; Leuey, Rockliff, Redden and Rich is a good one for the future.

It's true I agree.... Could be a very dangerous combination in years to come.