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deledio/connors

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Dustin Credible

Dustin Credible

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Lids has been a bit of a revelation at half back and with him taking the kick ins he has added a lot to our defensive structure. With Connors coming back from suspension, the question is this where do we play Deledio midfield, half back, a bit of both?

I've got to say a midfield rotations of Martin, Cotchin, Deledio, Cousins, Jackson and Foley is exciting.
 
If Jackson, Connors and Foley do come back in to the side, I think it may force Farmer out for now. Even though I think he will still be in the mix for a while yet.

So for me... Connors, Deledio and Newman all fit in to the backline without too much of an issue. This means Tambling and Edwards play up the ground a bit, which is pretty much what has been happening of recent, although I'm a bit unsure what Tambling's role is at the moment, haven't really paid much attention to him past few weeks.
 
Deledio belongs in the midfield. Cotchin, Martin Foley and Deledio will be a midfield that will be difficult to match up against. The midfield is where games are won and lost.
 
Very interesting and difficult one this one...

It's great to have someone across half back with elite disposal. Lids is doing a good job hitting targets and just look at how damage Goddard and Hodge do playing that role. Make no mistake, Goddard beat us virtually by himself on Friday night.

BUT - the thing we're missing in the midfield at the moment is a quality outside mid who gets the hands off Martin/Cotch, runs away and uses it.

Unfortunately I think having that real quality user off half back is more important in today's footy.

We need two Lids! (or three, or four..)
 

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Now that Cotch and even Martin are taking the tags I would like to see Lids play in the middle, although HBF is essentially midfield these days anyway.

Cotchin, Martin, Deledio, Foley, Cousins, Collins, Jackson is a nice mdfield for the next 18 months ecspecially if you throw in pick 4....
 
Richo URA Star said:
Deledio belongs in the midfield. Cotchin, Martin Foley and Deledio will be a midfield that will be difficult to match up against. The midfield is where games are won and lost.
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This.

Hardwick is wasting Deledio up back. Quite funny actually, Wallace has used him in this position before and he got absolutely hammered by fans for not playing him in the midfield. Hardwick does it and suddenly it''s a "revelation". If you don't think he's a midfielder watch the 2nd half of 2009 when Rawlings sent a rocket up him and he dominated a number of games through there.

When Connors comes back this week I want Deledio back in the middle. Connors/Webberly/Newman and even Tambling who should be playing the BP role and will be very good at it is more than enough attack off HB. Put your best players in the middle. If we were the Saints and we had Montagna, Dal Santo, Hayes and co we could afford to play him back there ala Goddard but we don't have that quality.
 
Think about it! i would love him to play in the middle, by hardwick playing him down back it gives him experience and how to improve on his defensive game! we have a clever coach people and i have no doubt he will be thrown back in the middle and shaking the tag:thumbsu:
 
People were getting angry at Wallace because he kept moving Deledio all over the place, not only during a season but during a game. Deledio seems like he has settled in the backline. As Themi said he can work on his defensive game there too, while still giving great value.

I like him in the midfield too. However, a backline of Newman, Deledio and Connors would give a lot of drive (although defensively might be a bit week). Especially in a time where we won't win a lot of games and the ball will be predominantly in our back half.

What I would like to know is how Goddard is coached. Does he roam where he feels he is needed? or do the coaches just move him all over the place? If the latter what percentage would he spend in each third (ie backline, midfield and forward).
 
Tom Harley said an interesting thing on Friday night.

“Deledio leads the club in inside 50s and rebound 50s, no wonder he doesn’t know where his place is”

The bit about not knowing his place, I wonder if that’s something Lids has mentioned, either to him, maybe his co commentator Richo or someone else, or was just surmising.
 

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Do Goddard, Hodge, Chapman or Ryder whinge about not having a place? No, they're elite in multiple positions and they play where the team needs them most. I would love to see Lids become a Goddard type, but he has to be in a decent team first. Midfield is his stomping ground at the end of the day.
 
Seems obvious to me that Hardwick likes to stick players down back to teach them lessons in working both ways and not coasting through games. Did it with Riewoldt during a couple of games when he was being lazy, pretty sure Morton was put down there at Coburg too...Bling went down there on Friday night (where he should be anyway IMO) after a quiet first half.
 
Lids will play all over the ground and wherever there is a need for the team. You dont waste players like him, who have penetrating kicks both sides of the body and the explosive speed and smarts to go with that, by putting them into a crowd of arms and legs. You have them on the outside and get the ****ing thing to them. He is to us what a Goddard is to the aints. Goddard would be murdered if played in the middle. He is better than hodge, who i believe plays where he plays purely because he cant play anywhere else and the dawks had to make good on shelling out the draft pick they did for him. ;)
 
My ideal backline would be:

B: Newman Gourdis Farmer
HB: Connors McGuane Deledio

The reason being is the backline is where your attacks start from and to start those attacks you need your quality ball users down there. Think about when you're at the game and Lids/Newman get the ball running through the HB line, you can feel the excitement build as they charge forward as you know a 50-60m kick after a 15-20m run is going to deliver the ball into our F50.

So personally I would like to see him stay at HB, as I don't think we've missed him that much in the middle. With Cotchin Martin Jackson Tuck & Foley all capable of winning contested possession, I think it is a real luxury to have someone like Lids being the outside runner, who can recieve the ball in space and use his skills to greater effect. I'd much rather that than him winning the ball in a contest and having to try and pinpoint a kick with a tagger hanging off him, like whats happening with Cotchin at present.
 
Deledio is the prototype midfielder. All his attributes point towards him being there.
 

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Half back for sure for Lids is enjoying playing there and although fleet footed is certainly better when running straight lines !!
Thurstfield Gourdis Conners
Newman Moore Deledio

Mind you we do need to get a solely defensive small back, King is developing not unlike the Saints Baker !!
 
Ruthless Tiger said:
So personally I would like to see him stay at HB, as I don't think we've missed him that much in the middle. With Cotchin Martin Jackson Tuck & Foley all capable of winning contested possession, I think it is a real luxury to have someone like Lids being the outside runner, who can recieve the ball in space and use his skills to greater effect. I'd much rather that than him winning the ball in a contest and having to try and pinpoint a kick with a tagger hanging off him, like whats happening with Cotchin at present.
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Exactly.
 
Leave him at HB you needs clean reliable disposal and pace down there. Newman/Lids/Connors/Tambling rotating in and out is fantastic and will setup better attacks for us.

Main position HB and will occassionally fill gaps at different times just like Hodge/Goddard do. If midfield was more important than HB then Hodge, Goddard and Gibbs would all be playing midfield 80% of the time rather than HB 80% and midfield 20%.

and Barnsey, the difference is Wallace would move Lids fwd/mid/back 3 times in a game, hardwick has let him settle at HB the majority of times with the occassional stint in other positions as seen fit ie the essendon game went into midfield where required.
 
I agree with RT. At this stage I would leave him at half back where he can use his pace to break lines and time and space to use his elite skills. While he was dominating in the midfield in the second half of last year he was handballing more than he was kicking (from memory). This simply isn't the best use of his talents. As long as Lids/Connors/Newman can keep a balance between offense and defense then I don't see a reason why they all couldn't be in the same backline. If they can't then Lids/Newman will need to spend some time on the wing.

A backline of:

Moore, Thursfield, Newman
Deledio, McGuane, Connors

Has a good balance of offense and defense and would also have more quality ball users than not with McGuane being the only player with questionable skills in that line up. Times are a changing at Tigerland. Gourdis/Post/Rance/Astbury can put pressure on the key talls and come in if required or form dictates.
 
id be disappointed if connors was to replace farmer
infact id be pissed
 

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