Opinion Jack Darling to the Midfield

[Chris_6678]

On big footy there has been talk about trying Jack Darling in the midfield and what are everyone's thoughts about it?

Personally i think we should do it and from this article today there is a chance this might happen on the weekend. http://www.westcoasteagles.com.au/news/2013-08-30/darling-keen-to-send-off-greats-with-a-win

We might lose some goal scoring power up front but i think we have enough goal scorers in JK ( Capable of 50-60) Lecra, ( 40-50), Hill ( 25-30) and rest the resting ruckman Lycett/Cox/Nic Nat( 20-30).

Darling has played some small bursts in the middle to great effect and i think a pre-season with the mids could fine tune his skills. He will be a better prospect in the midfield then say playing Lecra in there. Lecra i think plays his best when playing as a lead up forward and would be able to work well with JK like they did in 2010-2011. I have noticed in games when Darling is playing more up-field he is able to hit some good kicks to a leading JK/Lecra a lot better than some of our full time mids.

This would be my ideal forward/midfield setup for next year:

Masten Wellingham Gaff

Shuey JK Hill
Cox Lecra ---- *

Ruck: Nic Nat Scooter Darling

Bench: Priddis, Rosa, ---- Sub: Kerr

* I would draft a proper crumber in the draft as Hams is not a crumber and plays his best in the midfield. Dick i think will be delisted and is to injury prone to even get a chance to play that role. Would also like Newman to sort his s**t out so we can play him in Shueys role so Shuey can spend more time in the center.

What are everyone's thoughts?

 

[flamingEMBERS]

I agree, he doesn't have to play the whole game in the middle but being able to rotate through there like Roughead does will give us better flexibility. He has shown time and time again how he takes the game on and can burn players on the rebound. He will develop into a monster (not with our fitness staff) and could be really useful around stoppages.
It also allows us to play another proper tall forward in McInnes, McGovern or Lycett next year without making us too tall. I'm not saying he cant be a first or second option in the forward line, he really can, but it just adds more uncertainty to how teams play him/us and we can exploit that especially if the players listed above can develop into good forwards.

 

[Ted38]

Rubbish!

 

[flamingEMBERS]

Rubbish!

It might be Wooshas first plan B since swinging hunter forward. Sometimes you have to change things up to start winning.

 

[Masto]

He wants a crack so give him one I say. Smart teams experiment in the preseason and in dead rubbers. Find out what your players are capable of in different positions. Might be asking too much of Woosha though.

 

[Chris_6678]

What have we got to lose? people will say we will lose a 40-50 goal a game player but i think Lecra will get back to his old self if he is playing 80-90% forward instead of mixing it up in the midfield. Give Darling a year in the midfield and see if it works and if not back to square one. He has the right body shape and has a pretty good tank and would only have to work on it slightly over the pre-season.

 

[Ted38]

It might be Wooshas first plan B since swinging hunter forward. Sometimes you have to change things up to start winning.

Any plans Woosha has for 2014 won't impact on us.

 

[The Falcon Strike]

I agree, he doesn't have to play the whole game in the middle but being able to rotate through there like Roughead does will give us better flexibility. He has shown time and time again how he takes the game on and can burn players on the rebound. He will develop into a monster (not with our fitness staff) and could be really useful around stoppages.

It also allows us to play another proper tall forward in McInnes, McGovern or Lycett next year without making us too tall. I'm not saying he cant be a first or second option in the forward line, he really can, but it just adds more uncertainty to how teams play him/us and we can exploit that especially if the players listed above can develop into good forwards.

Our issue is midfield and midfield run, not needing another tall.

With a fully fit side we will always have 2 talls forward out of Cox/NN/Kennedy/Darling

We don't need more talls. What it could allow though is for the likes of Shuey/Masten/Gaff et al to spell some extra minutes forward which means they don't run out of legs come the end of the game.

We have so few blokes who run through the midfield other than midfielders. You mentioned Roughead, with Hawthorn only Puopolo and Gunston don't ever play minutes on ball. Rioli, Breust, Roughead and Franklin all find their way upfield.

For mine I'd rather the likes of Darling/LeCras/Hill and maybe Hurn to spell a few minutes a quarter in the middle. Who knows one of them might really take to it.

 

[Kaboodleer]

Our issue is midfield and midfield run, not needing another tall.

With a fully fit side we will always have 2 talls forward out of Cox/NN/Kennedy/Darling

We don't need more talls. What it could allow though is for the likes of Shuey/Masten/Gaff et al to spell some extra minutes forward which means they don't run out of legs come the end of the game.

We have so few blokes who run through the midfield other than midfielders. You mentioned Roughead, with Hawthorn only Puopolo and Gunston don't ever play minutes on ball. Rioli, Breust, Roughead and Franklin all find their way upfield.

For mine I'd rather the likes of Darling/LeCras/Hill and maybe Hurn to spell a few minutes a quarter in the middle. Who knows one of them might really take to it.

Puopolo does play on ball a bit so it's just Gunston. I agree its definitely a structure we should emulate next year.

 

[Abed]

100% agree, he should be in there. Big body, chases and tackles all day - exactly what we are missing in the middle atm.

 

[Agent93]

Rioli, Breust, Roughead and Franklin all find their way upfield.

Tallest crumber in the league. Franklin in the two most recent seasons has been fairly useless overhead, to the point where Heath Shaw would likely be the best type of player to match up on him. Hence the Hawks are utilising his speed and bulk to their advantage by making him one of the first targets out of defence.

Given Darling's height, and propensity to get double-teamed, using him in the same manner may be beneficial - especially if he rotates often with someone like Schofield. Effectively, he'd have to learn how to beat a running defender and he's had problems with guys like Toovey and Shaw.

LeCras, for all his hyped kicking ability, is probably best using it at goal, rather than trying to hit-up other forwards. Why? He hasn't worked out how to make space for himself in the midfield to use that kicking ability, whereas in front of goals he has leading into a gap completely down pat.

 

[Shupe]

Don't agree. His first touch is shocking.

 

[Broken_Chairs]

i don't know about setting up a permanent place for him in the midfield, but i definitely think rotating him through there is a good idea.

 

[flamingEMBERS]

Our issue is midfield and midfield run, not needing another tall.

With a fully fit side we will always have 2 talls forward out of Cox/NN/Kennedy/Darling

We don't need more talls. What it could allow though is for the likes of Shuey/Masten/Gaff et al to spell some extra minutes forward which means they don't run out of legs come the end of the game.

We have so few blokes who run through the midfield other than midfielders. You mentioned Roughead, with Hawthorn only Puopolo and Gunston don't ever play minutes on ball. Rioli, Breust, Roughead and Franklin all find their way upfield.

For mine I'd rather the likes of Darling/LeCras/Hill and maybe Hurn to spell a few minutes a quarter in the middle. Who knows one of them might really take to it.

The thing is we could play them all if they were our best team. It's not as though Darling is immobile.
Hawthorn have played Roughie, Buddy, Gunston, Hale and Bailey and worked.

 

[flamingEMBERS]

Any plans Woosha has for 2014 won't impact on us.

I hope so but i don't think so.

 

[Ted38]

I hope so but i don't think so.

If Adelaide gives us a touch up tomorrow he will be gone for all money, either way he is on very shaky ground.

 

[WCEbrody]

He should be rotating through there at the very least. We need more players from HF/HB playing through the midfield.

I don't think he'll ever be a full time midfielder though.

 

[QS]

Don't agree. His first touch is shocking.

Where was this quality analysis on Wed night mate?

 

[QL 21]

Or we play another midfielder in the midfield. Crazy idea, I know.

 

[Byron_Clanger]

Jack in the middle....sorry but that requires too much thought power and creativity for the Eagles match committee to even imagine such a move

 

[Byron_Clanger]

Or we play another midfielder in the midfield. Crazy idea, I know.

Masten and Wellingham are needed on the forward flanks though!

 

[Shupe]

Where was this quality analysis on Wed night mate?

I kicked it outside with the dog.

 

[lmach]

Last game of the season, throw him in there and see how he goes, we have nothing to lose.

 

[Chris_6678]

Last game of the season, throw him in there and see how he goes, we have nothing to lose.

Exactly and would rather that than put Tunbridge in there. Put Tunbridge up forward and leave Darling in the midfield.

 

[i am a logo]

He should be rotating through there at the very least. We need more players from HF/HB playing through the midfield.

I don't think he'll ever be a full time midfielder though.

Yep, he was born to kick bags