How many inside mids do we need?

[free at last]

At the moment our list does not have any true inside midfielders IMO.
You know, the kerrs,Joel selwoods,Lenny Hayes of the footy world.
This deficiency needs to be addressed fast, if it doesn't, we will continue to tread water.We probably need to draft two to three of these types, to round our midfield off properly.Hopefully with our first pick this year ,we select a kamakazie inside mid.Getting jaeger too will go along way to rectifying this shortfall.

 

[estibador]

I think we've already got a kamakazi inside mid in DeBoer. We're just not using him properly.

 

[free at last]

Definitely kamikaze, I just can't see him getting enough of the Footy.

 

[estibador]

He used to be a ball magnet in the guts in U18's if I recall the pre-draft write ups correctly.

Not that that always translates into AFL of course, but I reckon if he was given an extended run at Sandi's feet, with instructions to put his head over the ball and dish it out to the runners, he would really grow into the role.

 

[IAMJUNGLEMUFFIN]

I'd prefer to see de Boer in a shut down role.

He'd be well down the list of who we want getting their hands on the ball.

In respnse to the topic, Barlow and Mundy are the top quality on ballers we have at the moment I think, you could maybe include Fyfe in there aswell.

We're not going to troubling the engraver come september until we have enough of quality ball winners to support the cream.

Hopefully for Hill a situation like Headland had at Brisbane. Enough top notch midfielders around him for flak that he gets let off the chain.

Without seeing the kid play and taking the hype as gospel, this is why we really need someone like O'Meara.

So yeah, I'd like to see another 2 quality mids, maybe 1 more from draft/trading and Suban step up. If someone we allready have on the list like Michie can step up also, that'd be nice.

 

[E Shed]

er Barlow? Mundy?

 

[IAMJUNGLEMUFFIN]

er Barlow? Mundy?

I don't see an inside mid as needing to be a Libba/Hayes type. Both Mundy and Barlow have excellent hands, which I think is crucial for inside guys.

Don't get me wrong I'd like to see someone burrowing beneath the packs, hopefully our current players can still improve in that area.

 

[free at last]

er Barlow? Mundy?

Not kamikaze enough for my liking!
Kerr,selwood,Hayes style.

 

[IAMJUNGLEMUFFIN]

As long as we are physical enough to win the contests and get the ball out cleanly, I'm not going to complain. We've got plenty of meatheads we can use to take the hits inside.

You probably don't want your best mids on the receiving end of the brutal inside stuff anyway, it's not really conducive to a long career.

Can always bring Cookie out of the shed for that if we needed to.

 

[Franco]

I agree. We need a skilful inside midfielder who is hard at the ball and can break a few packs. A De boer type with a lot more class.

Mundy has the class and is very good inside but does not have the hardness to intimidate at a contest.

Barlow has class and smarts but not the pace to break away from a pack.

We need an inside mid who will take the game by the scruff of the neck and take everyone else along with him.

 

[free at last]

I agree. We need a skilful inside midfielder who is hard at the ball and can break a few packs. A De boer type with a lot more class.

Mundy has the class and is very good inside but does not have the hardness to intimidate at a contest.

Barlow has class and smarts but not the pace to break away from a pack.

We need an inside mid who will take the game by the scruff of the neck and take everyone else along with him.

^^^ Final piece to the midfield puzzle.

 

[dominguez]

At the moment our list does not have any true inside midfielders IMO.
You know, the kerrs,Joel selwoods,Lenny Hayes of the footy world.

How many inside mids do we need?

At most we need one in the 22 but a couple on the list would be handy.

An old school inside mid who lacks pace like Sam Mitchell could really throw the balance out, any mids we recruit need to have a bit of leg speed.

David Mundy - Runs all day but not overly quick.
Michael Barlow - Gets to a lot of contests but certainly not fast over 20 metres.
Nick Lower - Bit of a plodder.

 

[dominguez]

Mundy has the class and is very good inside but does not have the hardness to intimidate at a contest.

Barlow has class and smarts but not the pace to break away from a pack.

We need an inside mid who will take the game by the scruff of the neck and take everyone else along with him.

How many players in the comp regularly win clearances, have pace and can grab a game by the scruff of the neck though?

Goodes, Judd and Ablett are the 3 that spring to mind and will probably have 6 Brownlow's between them at seasons end.

The chances of us getting a player of that calibre at pick 14 in a weak draft aren't good.

 

[dominguez]

^^^ Final piece to the midfield puzzle.

When do you expect that player to be ready to have a significant impact if drafted this year? 2014? 2015?

More chance of Fyfe/Morabito being a dominant mid in the short term IMO.

 

[Leslie_Chow]

Not kamikaze enough for my liking!
Kerr,selwood,Hayes style.

We don't really need Kamikaze though. Mundy and Barlow are those type of players. we need guys who can play in and under, but also spread from the contest and score goals.

Obviously the greatest examples are Judd and Ablett, but they are legends of the game. I keep having to use Shuey as an example, but he is the type of kid we would have to go for. O'Meara has great similarities to him, and I'd give up a hell of a lot to have Shuey in our team.

 

[valkorum]

Palmer anybody? I have always wondered why he hasnt been turned in to an inside midfielder. For as much shit everyone gives him about his kicking his handballing is actually quite decent. He has the tank to get to every contest and he is quite hard at it.

I have always thought it would be great to see him as an inside mid dishing it out to the likes of Mundy, Barlow, Hill, Mora and now Fyfe

 

[malpaso]

If Palmer is here next year then you'd have to think he'd be made into that inside mid as he isn't suited anywhere else on the field.

Either traded to someone or signed by GWS most likely.

 

[Lach72]

Watch Michie.

If he can stay on the park with that foot injury, he reminds me a lot of Hase but a bit quicker

 

[Clay Davis]

We have the players to turn any of the those who currently aren't inside mids into one. Think of Mundy with accelerated development.

That is: Hill, Morabito, Pitt, Suban, De Boer, Palmer, Ibbotson, Mellington, Michie.

If you wanted you could throw Hinkley in there. With the right development, any of them could become that kind of player.

 

[Lach72]

I'd actually like Mellington playing the high half forward.

Great attck on the ball, got some balls, good kick for goal...maybe rotating with Sonny

 

[Clay Davis]

Whatever they become, the ingredients are all there. If we don't have enough players who can become full time ball winning midfielders, then recruiting of the past four years has been a disaster.

Our focus should be on talls.

 

[Lach72]

Whatever they become, the ingredients are all there. If we don't have enough players who can become full time ball winning midfielders, then recruiting of the past four years has been a disaster.

Our focus should be on talls.

I agree.

Personally, I'd take the best available tall first, probably a forward, like Kersten.

I wouldn't mind an inside mid with our second pick, even if it's a trade for a guy like Cruize Garlett. I think that would constitute good value...even a small lockdown back would be worth trading for...maybe even a guy like Surjan.

Then talls, all the way to the rookie list.

Next year's draft will give us some scope for more classy mids...and more players to cut...Hayden, Grover, Crowley, Johnson out...

Upgrade Lower this year, keep Bucovaz and possibly Ruffles.

Delist Schammer, Pearce, Sibisado, Sheapherd...Maybe Hinkley...

 

[Clay Davis]

Actually, not our recruiting - I think that's been fine. Our development will have been ordinary.

A number of those players should be able to step up next year and begin to form an elite midfield. That should be the focus of the preseason - turning the majority of the players recruited between 07-10 into an elite midfield core.

 

[Lach72]

Actually, not our recruiting - I think that's been fine. Our development will have been ordinary.

A number of those players should be able to step up next year and begin to form an elite midfield. That should be the focus of the preseason - turning the majority of the players recruited between 07-10 into an elite midfield core.

Yes true.

I hope Morabito comes back somewhere near it.

He was starting to really get it in the center square at the end of last year...

 

[Lach72]

I just did a ladder predictor thingy, and have us finishing 12 a game ahead of Adelaide. Assuming Adealide don't upset WC and we don't win another game.

That would give us pick 14 in this draft.
If Adelaide beat West coast and we lose by 100 against Collingwood (likely I think) we'll drop to 13th and get pick 12.