Dale Thomas - 2010

[TheClokes]

Will he always be a half-forward that rotates through the middle?
Or can he develop his endurance further, and spend more time in the centre.

I recall Malthouse saying that he prefers to play Dale as a forward, because he gives a contest in the air, and usually wins possession…

But the midfield requires a hard running mid with leg speed and if Dale can move in there, he will add so much more.

2010 has to be the year he starts making an impression in the middle! Or is the coaching staff happy with the current role he is playing?

 

[Snag Breac]

He's better off as a half-forward - he can do more damage there.

 

[Optimax]

He's better off as a half-forward - he can do more damage there.

I disagree Dale bursting away from a stoppage will set up more attack then just him across HF

 

[smiddaz123]

He has played his best football to date in the forward line.

His best to come should be from the midfield.

 

[mdc]

I'm on the Thomas->midfield bandwagon this year, after some promising late-season form from him.

Particularly as Didak back to the HFF is a must.

 

[Bay Pie]

I disagree Dale bursting away from a stoppage will set up more attack then just him across HF

Agree. His breaking of the lines running from a wing or congestion creates opportunities in the forward 50.

 

[hellfire]

He is great in the air, but I think his speed, flair and even workrate in the middle will be vital. He's not hard in the sense of bash and crash or anything like that, but he is hard at the ball and will never stop trying to win the ball. Will a dominant tap ruckman, his explosiveness with be a huge asset in the midfield. He certainly needs to add a few kilos though, and work on his tank a bit [though his fitness is underrated, not many in our side work as hard as him].

And besides, he's simply not kicking enough goals up forward. I'd rather swap him with Didak and let Dids have a 40 goal season.

 

[danielnajdek]

Will never be a midfielder. He hasn't got the tank to play there. Wish he was a midfielder everytime he plays there he shows heaps of promise

 

[Teak_Pies]

I like Thomas on the flank.

 

[DThomas]

Midfield. Full stop. That's his natural position and he has said this in interviews before.

While he has been played in the forward line, and done a good job, the last few years, he isn't reaching his full potential being played up there. His natural game is to run and carry the ball and take on the opposition, the midfield is the place for him to do this.

He has shown some signs that he will become an important part of our midfield in the future. I've erased as much of my memories of the Prelim as I can, but Dale really stood up that night. Even though we wear getting flogged by 10 goals, Dale was still trying his hardest. He also had a couple of brilliant clearances that showed glimpses of what he can do when given a chance.

With a big pre-season he will improve his endurance and play a vital role in the midfield in the future.

 

[Teak_Pies]

Midfield. Full stop. That's his natural position and he has said this in interviews before.

While he has been played in the forward line, and done a good job, the last few years, he isn't reaching his full potential being played up there. His natural game is to run and carry the ball and take on the opposition, the midfield is the place for him to do this.

He has shown some signs that he will become an important part of our midfield in the future. I've erased as much of my memories of the Prelim as I can, but Dale really stood up that night. Even though we wear getting flogged by 10 goals, Dale was still trying his hardest. He also had a couple of brilliant clearances that showed glimpses of what he can do when given a chance.

With a big pre-season he will improve his endurance and play a vital role in the midfield in the future.

It isn't his natural position mate, forward flank is his natural position, he doesn't have the engine to play in the midfield and goes missing far to often.

 

[Optimax]

It isn't his natural position mate, forward flank is his natural position, he doesn't have the engine to play in the midfield and goes missing far to often.

Midfield is his natural position more so wingmen.

A player that wants to get the ball and carry it 30 meters is wasted on a flank or deep forward, give him a dominant ruck directing taps to him and watch purely direct and explosive clearances from him.

Dale can still rest forward but IMO dale is the perfect midfield replacement for didak who will help the side more playing across hf where his goal sense, and surgical left foot will cut teams apart

 

[Teak_Pies]

I don't think Thomas gets enough of the ball when he's in the midfield, where as Didak gets stacks of it.

 

[Optimax]

I don't think Thomas gets enough of the ball when he's in the midfield, where as Didak gets stacks of it.

Yeah but apart from that sensational month mid year, a lot of didaks touches just arnt damaging. I'd prefer 20 touches from didak across hf which result in 2 goals for him and the very least 2 assists then 25 -30 touches with little score board contribution.

Too see Thomas dammaging in the middle Adelaide final after half he and Steele were a fantastic double act, Geelong final he got our most dangerous and cleanest clearances, his Carlton game as a run with player plus 2 goals to boot.

Ok Dale might not be you 30 touch accumulator but he will give you a damaging 20 touches on average and not forget mids are meant to run as hard both ways like some

 

[collingwill]

I'm on the Thomas->midfield bandwagon this year, after some promising late-season form from him.

Particularly as Didak back to the HFF is a must.

strongly disagree with that one, didak should be a permanent onballer now, he's played his best footy there IMO, id rather him get it 30 times and hit 95% of targets then get bogged down on a flank and kick the odd freak goal, same goes for leon too, they"ve both built their tanks enough to play midfield now and with their silky skills their an asset to our midfeild, dick, medders, macaffa, beams should fill the fwd flank roles IMO.

 

[Teak_Pies]

have to agree Collingwill, Didak to play on ball is a must

 

[mattys123]

One from left field a bit, but what about Thomas as our number 1 midfield tagger?

Last year he showed he could apply a very effective tag on attacking half back players, yet still average 18 possessions himself.

I can really see Thomas developing into a Kane Cornes or Cameron Ling type mid who can both apply a "hard" tag and can also hurt his opponent going the other way.

I think it's one of the major components our side is missing, a consistent go to man type of tagger, and I can see Thomas being that man next year and beyond.

Anyone else think he could make it as an effective midfield tagger?

 

[knightwheelrqr]

Dale Thomas has all the attributes to become a dominant midfielder, just needs to be able to consistantly be able to give efforts which will come with fitness.

Didak some of you are mentioning, the thing with him is that he was drafted to the club as a midfielder, and he wants to become a full time midfielder and now wants to do what he was drafted to do.

Personally I love Didak up forward, just I think he will end up in the midfield because he wants to become a full time midfielder, which he probably could do with the fitness.

The way I hope he is used next year is that he starts up forward and then we he moves into the midfield with the rotations, he should receive a hard tag after he accumulates a few posessions, at which point I hope he moves forward and takes the tagger forward and force the tagger to play an uncomfortable role as a defender as opposed to a tagging job through the midfield which likely most taggers would be more suited to. Then allowing the Dane Swans to go through the midfield and Didak to have a mismatch up forward.

Thomas how he should be played, I wouldn't start him in the centre square, probably on the wing to start with because I don't think he would be suited to the physicality of the opening bounce, but then move him into the centre square after a few minutes. I wouldn't mind seeing his game time work a bit like Dane Swans in 2007, where Swan would play 8 minutes on and work at 100% then come off for 3-4 minutes. Then repeat. (So basically rests at around the 10+20ish minute marks of each quarter). Meaning in effect he would leave his forward role alltogether and instead would be the impact guy in the midfield, who can step in and contribute heavily.

 

[Optimax]

I'm have to disagree didak played his best football on balk, he won a copeland and finished aa as a hff, an example of the role didak should play is Steve johnson of Geelong 20 touches 2 goals and 2 assists a week.

Right now didak gets 25 odd touches, 15 are damaging, might kick 1 goal and possibility set up 1 or 2. Basically he is being used as a glorified link man

 

[knightwheelrqr]

strongly disagree with that one, didak should be a permanent onballer now, he's played his best footy there IMO, id rather him get it 30 times and hit 95% of targets then get bogged down on a flank and kick the odd freak goal, same goes for leon too, they"ve both built their tanks enough to play midfield now and with their silky skills their an asset to our midfeild, dick, medders, macaffa, beams should fill the fwd flank roles IMO.

The things with Didak and Leon though are that they both can be shut out of games easily.

I would have Leon and Davis start up forward then move into the midfield. Once they receive a heavy tag I would shift them up forward where they can use a mismatch and remove the tagger from the game.

If they do not receive much opposition attention, then definately let them play perminant mid for that game, and they can reak havoc.

 

[collingwill]

i reckon a few of his onball performaces were ablett like this year, the game in syd was simply awesome, best game ive seen him play, he had a run of 3/4 super games in the middle, he is still learning onball and shaking tags and such and his tank will probably be even bigger this year, as an onballer i reckon oppsosition coaches would fear him more than swan. IMO

 

[smiddaz123]

Didak around goals is as damaging as he'll be for us imo.

He can rack his 30 touches up and have a good game, but if he's around goals, we're better off.

Similar situation to Steve Johnson imo, both can be quality mids, but their true value is up forward.

 

[collingwill]

The things with Didak and Leon though are that they both can be shut out of games easily.

I would have Leon and Davis start up forward then move into the midfield. Once they receive a heavy tag I would shift them up forward where they can use a mismatch and remove the tagger from the game.

If they do not receive much opposition attention, then definately let them play perminant mid for that game, and they can reak havoc.

i can live with that, it just goes to show what good players they are, not many onballers are as dangerous as leon and didak around the goals, so that options allways there, i agree.

remember too guys that on paper at least our clearance rate should go up, so i reckon having quality ball users around the stoppages will be even more important, also if we dont have didak on ball it means swan will get the hard tag, have didak onball as well and you cause a dillema for the opposition, you cant tag both of them (hard tag at least)

 

[DThomas]

It isn't his natural position mate, forward flank is his natural position, he doesn't have the engine to play in the midfield and goes missing far to often.

It is his natural position. He has stated this in interviews before.

As for his fitness, that's what the pre-season is there for. Once he gets his fitness up the consistency will come. Just have patience and it will happen.

 

[DThomas]

I don't think Thomas gets enough of the ball when he's in the midfield, where as Didak gets stacks of it.

You're being harsh on Dale there. He only started getting a proper go in the midfield this season and he's still a young player. Didak has played for 5 more seasons than Dale as well.