Analysis Inside midfielders

[RUNVS]

This has been an issue that I think the Swans have had for a few years now as despite having a lot of players with really good reputations who play on the inside and are there to extract the ball from the stoppages the Swans have consistently been beaten, not just by the good teams, but also the bad teams in the clearances. Today only highlighted the issue as Hawthorn moved the ball out of the stoppages with ease and it made it impossible for the Swans to get first use of the ball.

Kennedy
Parker
J.Jack
McVeigh (sometimes)
Hannebery (sometimes)
McGlynn (sometimes)

all seem to rotate as centre clearances players and I think despite their reputations as a group they are no where near good enough. So what does Longmire do? Does he back them in to improve, does he trade one or two of them and get good draft picks for them and use Heeney and Mitchell next year who are both supposed to be good extractors of the football?

One thing is for sure that the Swans cannot let Mitchell go. I think it is also sure that of the above list one or two of the players need to go either out of the team entirely or at the very least no longer midfielders who can be considered inside midfielders. The only one in that list who is actually really good at it is Kennedy.

 

[Swagjordx]

Jetta , Reid need gone.

 

[RUNVS]

Jetta , Reid need gone.

The outside definitely has its issues as well. Jetta showed his true colours today.

 

[SilentHunter_]

Reid needs to be gone, bring in Tom Mitchell!

 

[something]

Trade jetta, give spot to Mitchell. Find pace in the draft.

 

[RUNVS]

I should change the title to include the outside midfielders as well.

We have Heeney, Mills and Dunkley all coming into the team in the next 2 years.

Does anyone else think it might be worth it making an attempt at pick 1 as that Petrenka (or whatever his name is) guy seems like he has a lot of talent.

 

[Superstar swan]

We really need silky users if the ball who can rack up possessions ala lewis, Burgoyne . Can't fault Kennedy, Parker they have been great all year

 

[RUNVS]

We really need silky users if the ball who can rack up possessions ala lewis, Burgoyne . Can't fault Kennedy, Parker they have been great all year

Kennedy and Parker do not bother me so much as I think they have what it takes. I really am worried about McVeigh, Jack and possibly even Hannebery as they are not nearly as good as they seem to think they are. I am still not sure about McGlynn in the midfield either as I think having him as a small forward would be more useful.

 

[Superstar swan]

Kennedy and Parker do not bother me so much as I think they have what it takes. I really am worried about McVeigh, Jack and possibly even Hannebery as they are not nearly as good as they seem to think they are. I am still not sure about McGlynn in the midfield either as I think having him as a small forward would be more useful.

Jack is not the same player he was in years gone by, hopefully he can get back to top form

 

[alex4445]

Move mcveigh to defence to replace malceski if he leaves or shaw if he doesnt, shaw to retire. Mitchell into the midfield. Atleast one of Mitchell and Kennedy at every stoppage.

 

[Swagjordx]

The outside definitely has its issues as well. Jetta showed his true colours today.

100% he had like 6 disposal for the whole game.

 

[Reece2106]

Move mcveigh to defence to replace malceski if he leaves or shaw if he doesnt, shaw to retire. Mitchell into the midfield. Atleast one of Mitchell and Kennedy at every stoppage.

This. McVeigh in the backline, so much more effective. Can't match it with the mids anymore. Shaw has been a good servant of the club but it's time for him to hang up the boots and holiday in Bali. Today underlined why we need Mitchell in our best 22.

 

[scaryness]

I think the main problem with our midfield is that we don't seem to have any order or control.

Looking at Hawthorn today, they knew at all times who was getting the ball, who to handpass to once they get it, and played like the clearances were mapped out in their minds.

Our midfielders just get the ball and throw it around almost aimlessly until someone decides to bomb it to Tippett/Franklin.

 

[Faysals Swans]

We only have one elite extractor and he's the best in the game, you do realise the only reason guys like Jack an hannebery still have a good rep is because Kennedy is spoon feeding them? Hanners an Jack have had subpar years for a while now, Kennedy makes them look good, he's the reason our midfield is rated so highly, take him out an we've got a 5-8th midfield

 

[RUNVS]

We only have one elite extractor and he's the best in the game, you do realise the only reason guys like Jack an hannebery still have a good rep is because Kennedy is spoon feeding them? Hanners an Jack have had subpar years for a while now, Kennedy makes them look good, he's the reason our midfield is rated so highly, take him out an we've got a 5-8th midfield

I think Hannebery and Jack both need a proper preseason under their belts but even when they are at their best neither (especially Hannebery) are extractors of the ball. Kennedy is the only midfielder that played today who is really good at it. In hindsight Mitchell should have stayed in the team after his performance against Richmond.

 

[melbournehammer]

Our entire game plan this year once dropping rok and Mitchell is based on Pyke tapping to Kennedy, Kennedy standing up in a tackle and distributing by hand. No one else has the ability to win it. Parker and goodes can but they also go third man up.

The hawks often went third man up early today which took it away from Kennedy.

Hanners and jack have high reputations not because of their clearance work. For regular swans watchers it wasn't a surprise but media person after media person this week said words to the effect "surprisingly the swans rank lowly on clearances". Jack and hanners reputation is built on their two way running, not their inside work. Trouble is they are our best inside mids as well.

 

[The King!]

The mids had a god awful day but most its a rare performance

Jetta has to do more though he glides by doing little reputation outweighs output

 

[The Swans Blog]

I've had a bit of time to reflect, never watch that match again.
The midfield was smashed hands down, never seen it happen like that before, chances are I won't see it happen again for a long, long time. Not sure if it was complacency, stage fright or lack of confidence, but there was a distinct lack of effort. I thought that in the first 10 minutes we were up for it but couldn't stick a tackle.

If we had been able to turn the tide, stick the tackles, the rest would have taken care of itself. But they broke almost every tackle in the first half and made a mockery of us. They made us look like campaigners. It was like watching Arsenal getting smashed by Man City, Liverpool or Chelsea last season.

The mids had a god awful day but most its a rare performance

Jetta has to do more though he glides by doing little reputation outweighs output

He never was one for the tough stuff, and in the tough games, he doesn't get stuck in or tackle or chase hard. He's a one-way runner, and if we're going to keep him, we have to exploit that.

 

[Theprofessional]

I know Horse loves his pace etc but to be honest Jetta hasn't offered an awful lot for a long time- he'll get on the outside and be fast but he doesn't chase enough/tackle enough/use his pace enough to be a worthwhile asset to the team. Kennedy is our best clearance/contested ball winner and than I'd describe Kieran Jack/Hanners as more outside players than inside, and Parker is inside and outside.

I think Mcveigh to defence and having:
Kennedy/Mitchell inside midfielders
Jack/Hanners Outside
Parker both

I think we got too caught up with having fast midfielders instead of having good midfielders- ROK might've only thrown the ball onto his boot forward, but Jetta doesn't get the ball. I think we sacraficed too much game smarts/contested players for pace.

 

[Sydswans0512]

At one stage yesterday Mcglynn was opposed to Roughy in the centre

 

[Jack2Jack]

Kennedy is really our only true 'inside' mid, Parker does it at times and will no doubt get better as he's still young. O'Keefe back in 2012 helped out as a big bodied inside mid, we could always throw Jude in their too if things went pear shaped. Now we're gone we're relying too much on one guy.
Kennedy needs support, probably have been going one to many quick/outside/spread players in hindsight (it works brilliantly against the lower teams but not the best), at the expense of clearance grunt.
Hopefully Mitchell stays and Horse plays him alongside Kennedy, let them win the contested ball - others who are probably not suited to doing it on a full time basis are being expected to play that role, it's probably hurting us. Pace only goes so far, need to be able to win the ball.

 

[S120]

Before he got hurt, Craig Bird was taking a large chunk of inside midfielder minutes beside Kennedy and Parker. I anticipate he'll be doing something similar in 2015, he was having a great season before getting hurt.

 

[disgruntled goat]

The tackling, or lack of it, was alarming yesterday. We slid off so many, or were just weak and easily broken. It was ominously evident early on. Never imagined Sydney would be shown up in that department ... it was embarrassing.

 

[JackAttack!]

As angry as this comment makes me, I feel it's obvious. Too many of our boys just had a bad game. It's disgusting how this can happen in a grand final, after a record breaking GF qualifier. They just weren't switched on & looked very alouf all week. That is not our style. Red flags were almost raised for me with comments from Horse & some players this week. They seemed too relaxed to me , but I thought they know better than me. Better to be relaxed & taking it in your stride?

We lost the true underdog bastard type hunger. A mentality of silver tales is not what this club needs. Was it so? I cant be 100% sure. Remember 2012? It was a very, very different attitude.

 

[Heeney2Franklin]

The tackling, or lack of it, was alarming yesterday. We slid off so many, or were just weak and easily broken. It was ominously evident early on. Never imagined Sydney would be shown up in that department ... it was embarrassing.

Tackling is a mindset as is smothers and desperation.