Roast How diabolical is our midfield?

[George Kramer]

We need to make a decision on Rankine and Rachelle. One of them has to become a midfielder and a star midfielder. We cannot have used a top 5 and a top 6 on 2 small forwards who play a little bit of midfield, that would diabolical list management.

Given Rankine has the tank it needs to be him.
Rachelle stays at home as a gun small forward.

Pedlar can be the hybrid for now but he needs midfield time otherwise we’ve blown another high draft pick. But with the view of being a full time mid next year. Surely he’s fit enough by then.

Taylor needs to be given a go.
Dowling needs to be given a go.
Curtin needs to play.

Laird and Crouch both can’t be in the midfield together.

Starting midfield:

Dawson, Crouch, Soligo
Rotating with Laird, Rankine and Pedlar

Curtin to the wing
Nank on the wing

 

[dylan123]

We need to make a decision on Rankine and Rachelle. One of them has to become a midfielder and a star midfielder. We cannot have used a top 5 and a top 6 on 2 small forwards who play a little bit of midfield, that would diabolical list management.

Given Rankine has the tank it needs to be him.
Rachelle stays at home as a gun small forward.

Pedlar can be the hybrid for now but he needs midfield time otherwise we’ve blown another high draft pick. But with the view of being a full time mid next year. Surely he’s fit enough by then.

Taylor needs to be given a go.
Dowling needs to be given a go.
Curtin needs to play.

Laird and Crouch both can’t be in the midfield together.

Starting midfield:

Dawson, Crouch, Soligo
Rotating with Laird, Rankine and Pedlar

Curtin to the wing
Nank on the wing

Would love a 60/40 split of a Rankine/Rachelle in the midfield or HFF really pushing up.

Rachelle to me looks to need more experience away from goal because while his kicking for goal is pretty spot on, he does some really silly and greedy things. Finding a bit more of it, learning from those mistakes would do him the world of good.

Both these guys as forwards are pretty dangerous but if we continue to play how we currently are, we will never know it because it's just not getting into the forward line the way our forwards need it.

 

[Cap]

So people have mentioned Zac Taylor as a potential future mid.

Had concussion earlier in the year.

what do we expect from him?

 

[FullyBigKPro]

We need to make a decision on Rankine and Rachelle. One of them has to become a midfielder and a star midfielder. We cannot have used a top 5 and a top 6 on 2 small forwards who play a little bit of midfield, that would diabolical list management.

Given Rankine has the tank it needs to be him.
Rachelle stays at home as a gun small forward.

Pedlar can be the hybrid for now but he needs midfield time otherwise we’ve blown another high draft pick. But with the view of being a full time mid next year. Surely he’s fit enough by then.

Taylor needs to be given a go.
Dowling needs to be given a go.
Curtin needs to play.

Laird and Crouch both can’t be in the midfield together.

Starting midfield:

Dawson, Crouch, Soligo
Rotating with Laird, Rankine and Pedlar

Curtin to the wing
Nank on the wing

Remember in Rankine's draft year, he was touted as the next McLeod as had silky skills, electric pace and was played as a midfielder from memory.

Its truly baffling we haven't given him meaningful minutes in the midfield this year when it was talked up all summer long.

 

[BunjiMac]

It's a philosophy at the AFC probably built by guys who were never actually gifted or talented in the same way as a McLeod was.

You can't use Talent that you don't understand.

That's where Blight was incredible. He could see and understand real talent and knew how to get that talent to perform. Importantly he knew how to use that talent.

They probably look at Rankine and think, he's just a flashy guy, that's not suited to the midfield. You need workhorses that do the ugly stuff so. That these guys can them get the ball.

Such an old one dimensional way of looking at things.

The way Richmond use Bolton and Melbourne use Picket is exactly the blueprint for Rankine.

 

[Harris1991]

It's pretty bad, in fact, bottom 6 standard. I had us finishing somewhere between 10th to 14th. I was surprised some were so bullish given the state of our midfield and the fact that our 2023 season was largely built on the back of an insanely good year from our soon to be 34 year old champion key forward.

 

[hugecannon]

So people have mentioned Zac Taylor as a potential future mid.

Had concussion earlier in the year.

what do we expect from him?

He’s got some great attributes, but missed a heap of football last year with injuries and now with concussion. Hopefully he can have a clear run and really push his case maybe as a HF. Obviously there’s little chance he’ll get promoted and go straight into the midfield at senior level.

 

[Cap]

He’s got some great attributes, but missed a heap of football last year with injuries and now with concussion. Hopefully he can have a clear run and really push his case maybe as a HF. Obviously there’s little chance he’ll get promoted and go straight into the midfield at senior level.

That's the problem with the club, if he's a mid, play him mid

 

[NSolis]

We need to make a decision on Rankine and Rachelle. One of them has to become a midfielder and a star midfielder. We cannot have used a top 5 and a top 6 on 2 small forwards who play a little bit of midfield, that would diabolical list management.

Given Rankine has the tank it needs to be him.
Rachelle stays at home as a gun small forward.

Pedlar can be the hybrid for now but he needs midfield time otherwise we’ve blown another high draft pick. But with the view of being a full time mid next year. Surely he’s fit enough by then.

Taylor needs to be given a go.
Dowling needs to be given a go.
Curtin needs to play.

Laird and Crouch both can’t be in the midfield together.

Starting midfield:

Dawson, Crouch, Soligo
Rotating with Laird, Rankine and Pedlar

Curtin to the wing
Nank on the wing

Rankine has the tank and skills but is also a much better small forward than Rachele. In the long term I think they will be hoping Rachele can be a full time mid and Rankine can be more of a small forward who also runs through the midfield at times. For now, no issue if it's Rankine getting a lot of the stoppages as long as the primary starting midfield is Crouch/Dawson/Soligo.

Rachele and Pedlar should all be getting a run through there as well as they did last year, and ideally I think i'd like to see two of Dowling, Pedlar or Berry in the side instead of Laird and McHenry and getting some midfield time as well as playing across half-forward. McHenry can be the specialist sub. Pedlar proved he was pretty capable in that role last year with 25 goals so hopefully he comes back in once he finds a bit of form and confidence.

The primary midfield mix was about right on Thursday, aside from Laird which is the hard selection decision that has to be made to free up more opportunities for younger and more flexible options, unless he can re-invent himself in another role pretty quickly.

 

[NSolis]

It's a philosophy at the AFC probably built by guys who were never actually gifted or talented in the same way as a McLeod was.

You can't use Talent that you don't understand.

That's where Blight was incredible. He could see and understand real talent and knew how to get that talent to perform. Importantly he knew how to use that talent.

They probably look at Rankine and think, he's just a flashy guy, that's not suited to the midfield. You need workhorses that do the ugly stuff so. That these guys can them get the ball.

Such an old one dimensional way of looking at things.

The way Richmond use Bolton and Melbourne use Picket is exactly the blueprint for Rankine.

They are playing Rankine through the midfield though, so it's not the case that they think he's not suited to the midfield. He had more CBAs than Pickett did on Thursday night for example, and they are about even for the year so far. Guys like Bolton and Papley are getting a few more but I think that's roughly the role they are looking at.

The issue is more with the range of other players who aren't getting as much opportunity, like Rachele for example.

 

[Cap]

Rachele needs to look at Tony Greene and pretty much copy that.

Rankine can be a mid, Pedlar is a mid.

 

[FR0GGY]

Rachele needs to look at Tony Greene and pretty much copy that.

Rankine can be a mid, Pedlar is a mid.

Yeah but the coaching staff need to forget about the immediate results and focus on what’s best for the club.

 

[BunjiMac]

They are playing Rankine through the midfield though, so it's not the case that they think he's not suited to the midfield. He had more CBAs than Pickett did on Thursday night for example, and they are about even for the year so far. Guys like Bolton and Papley are getting a few more but I think that's roughly the role they are looking at.

The issue is more with the range of other players who aren't getting as much opportunity, like Rachele for example.

It's also important when you choose to play a guy like Rankine in the middle.

I remember how Clarkson would Rioli and Burguyone in the middle. If there was a critical part that he thought would change the game, he throw them in there and roll the dice. It didn't work every time, but it certainly paid dividends on many occasions.

He saw them as a midfield weapon to be used at important times, not the end of a rotation.

 

[WetCrow1991]

Remember in Rankine's draft year, he was touted as the next McLeod as had silky skills, electric pace and was played as a midfielder from memory.

Its truly baffling we haven't given him meaningful minutes in the midfield this year when it was talked up all summer long.

It makes sense when you consider that the Crows in general are all talk.

 

[CroCrow]

So people have mentioned Zac Taylor as a potential future mid.

Had concussion earlier in the year.

what do we expect from him?

Really like him, has great vision which buys him time and has a nice leg, his concussion was not major . Imo only thing he needs is to build his body otherwise essentially ready to go as has got skills which I think will come to fruition even more in the AFL

 

[CroCrow]

Yeah but the coaching staff need to forget about the immediate results and focus on what’s best for the club.

Unfortunately Peds can't find the ball, imo very obe sided and lacks lateral movement in tight. Needs to start getting at least 20 possessions a game in SANFL

 

[FR0GGY]

Unfortunately Peds can't find the ball, imo very obe sided and lacks lateral movement in tight. Needs to start getting at least 20 possessions a game in SANFL

He has not played enough on ball.
The times he got CBA’s last year he was our best clearance player by the numbers.
Rotting at half forward in our side isn’t the place to judge him.

 

[Harris1991]

Dowling is good and so is Taylor, just get them in and leave them there. Also don't understand why we wouldn't go for someone like McAuliffe in our own backyard, exactly what we need , inside but explosive pace from the pack. As for Nanks and Cook leave them there and let then become men and watch them flourish . We don't need headless chooks who just crash into each other. As for Jones I'm over him , not prepared to use his asset as since his first year has stage fright and lacks vision.

Giving quality game time to our unknowns should be the priority now. We've seen enough of McHenry, Jones, Sholl, Berry, Keays, Murphy and Parnell to conclude they will never be even average AFL footballers.

Ogilvie should have been sacked for the 2018 draft debacle alone. He has been an absolute disaster.

 

[Harris1991]

He has not played enough on ball.
The times he got CBA’s last year he was our best clearance player by the numbers.
Rotting at half forward in our side isn’t the place to judge him.

Rotting at half forward and forced into one of the most grotesque mismatches we have seen since Massie on Franklin. I bet getting slaughtered by Stewart in front of 44,000 and a national Friday night audience did wonders for his confidence and development.

He was my big improver for 2024. Has some traits that I love. I just hope they haven't destroyed his confidence.

 

[GreyCrow]

It's also important when you choose to play a guy like Rankine in the middle.

I remember how Clarkson would Rioli and Burguyone in the middle. If there was a critical part that he thought would change the game, he throw them in there and roll the dice. It didn't work every time, but it certainly paid dividends on many occasions.

He saw them as a midfield weapon to be used at important times, not the end of a rotation.

I recall Clarkson throwing Burger in the middle in the last 5 minutes of a game against us and he willed them across the line

 

[ams4crows]

We legit could be like the new Essendon just consistently finishing in the 9th-15th position for another decade..... Already been 6 years and we are about to add another year to it this year.

 

[huludicidal]

We legit could be like the new Essendon just consistently finishing in the 9th-15th position for another decade..... Already been 6 years and we are about to add another year to it this year.

Not to nitpick too much, but we finished 18th in one of those years and I’ll be absolutely stunned if we finish as high as 15th this year, or next.

 

[NSolis]

Not to nitpick too much, but we finished 18th in one of those years and I’ll be absolutely stunned if we finish as high as 15th this year, or next.

You will be stunned if we finish as high as 15th? So you think we will finish below one of West Coast, North and Hawthorn - so much so that you will be stunned if that doesn't happen? Come on.

 

[huludicidal]

You will be stunned if we finish as high as 15th? So you think we will finish below one of West Coast, North and Hawthorn - so much so that you will be stunned if that happens? Come on.

Yes, I will be. North’s midfield will absolutely tear us apart in 2 weeks time, and then you might start to see what the reality is. They have played FAR better football than us this season - they just have a horrendous back 6. Will that even matter against us? I’d suggest not. The game being in Tasmania just makes the prospect of us winning even more of a laugh.

We will more than likely be 0-10 or 1-9 after 10 rounds.

We won’t finish above ALL 3 of those teams, and I will be stunned if we do.

 

[NSolis]

The Crows have only finished bottom 3 once in the history of the club. Certainly can't see it happening both this year and next. We almost certainly won't make finals after this start but will finish somewhere from 10th to 15th, same as the last three years.