List Mgmt. Lack of inside midfielders

[Jimmy Yamazaki]

I've said this before and I'm still saying it again (3 years later). We are desperate for another A Grade inside mid. Against teams that have them in spades, we struggle in this department and it won't get better. We have been like this since 2012 and seemed to have done little to rectify it.

Now what am I talking about? A player that can win the ball at around the ground stoppages, in tight contested situations.

When I look at our list, the only player that could (Now I'm talking top tier) potentially fill this role is Caddy. Whether he actually gets there or not is for another thread. Otherwise we have done little to fix this.

We cannot rely on Selwood and SJ, especially since it seems they can be tagged out of the game. SJ may be in his last year or so as well.

Can the club please draft/ Trade/ FA someone that can do this. I don't care how fast the player is. I don't care about how good his disposal is, I don't care about how many positions he can play in.

I just want him to do one thing and that is get the ball to our advantage when it's thrown up by the ump.

Also please fire out clearance coach, because he's crap.

 

[catempire]

We did the right thing by getting Caddy. We again tried with Adams. When we failed to get Adams I was a bit surprised we didn't go for a clearance pig instead of Lang. We've always got to be cautious questioning Wells' decisions but a clearance player would have addressed a shorter term need.

 

[GFrost]

Agree it's important. But not necessarily with the comment that since 2012 we've done little to rectify it. Getting a 20 year old bull taken at pick 7 in the draft at the end of 2012 is something pretty substantial (the only one up for grabs and we got him ahead of five clubs). We tried our best to get Taylor Adams and narrowly missed him a year later. We've tried to get Boak. Geelong will have put in mountains of work on the hope of a Dangerfield coup already, like we did last time.
A-Grade inside mids don't grow on trees. Christensen, Caddy, Selwood and Johnson looks a lot different to a heavily tagged Johnson and Selwood.
But I do wish we had more... I'm tired of watching players waiting to tackle. I wish more often we would get in there.
GHS is becoming more important, and if he's not already, he will soon be no where near "fringe".

 

[Jon Douglas]

Spot on we need another gun mid besides Caddy - who is ok but has yet to set the world on fire. But he has the potential to be at least a gun big mid with run and tackle written all over him. But we are still one down IMO. If we think Jansen is good enough and will be a player start giving him some senior experience so he maybe a player in 2015/2016.

 

[Jimmy Yamazaki]

Agree it's important. But not necessarily with the comment that since 2012 we've done little to rectify it. Getting a 20 year old bull taken at pick 7 in the draft at the end of 2012 is something pretty substantial (the only one up for grabs and we got him ahead of five clubs). We tried our best to get Taylor Adams and narrowly missed him a year later. We've tried to get Boak. Geelong will have put in mountains of work on the hope of a Dangerfield coup already, like we did last time.
A-Grade inside mids don't grow on trees. Christensen, Caddy, Selwood and Johnson looks a lot different to a heavily tagged Johnson and Selwood.
But I do wish we had more... I'm tired of watching players waiting to tackle. I wish more often we would get in there.
GHS is becoming more important, and if he's not already, he will soon be no where near "fringe".

I agree we have tried with Adams (who actually can't get a game at Pies) and Boak, but knowing that we failed getting them, we still didn't draft a kid with that potential in a draft of midfielders.

For example, I would have loved us to go Matt Crouch in the draft, he was the highest clearance player out of all the kids this year, but we didn't go him or a big body player like Luke Dunstan who has shown promise at St Kilda already.

Lang could be anything, but I said at the time and now that he may not be what we need. We need grunt in the midfield.

 

[Jimmy Yamazaki]

FYI we lost stoppage clearances 33-17 yesterday, almost doubled us.

 

[Catatonic Shock]

We had 3, THREE out from last nights game.
How about we see how they go when all 3 are back.

 

[Jimmy Yamazaki]

We had 3, THREE out from last nights game.
How about we see how they go when all 3 are back.

Dude, clearances has been a discrepancy longer than 1 night...

 

[Catatonic Shock]

Dude, clearances has been a discrepancy longer than 1 night...

And?
Last year we had no rucks and caddy was in his first year with us.
2012 we still had crap rucks, no caddy, no stokes and SJ still as a forward.
At no time in the last 3 seasons (inc. this one) have we had both rucks and our full midfield.
Once that happens, we can decide how they go

 

[Jimmy Yamazaki]

And?
Last year we had no rucks and caddy was in his first year with us.
2012 we still had crap rucks, no caddy, no stokes and SJ still as a forward.
At no time in the last 3 seasons (inc. this one) have we had both rucks and our full midfield.
Once that happens, we can decide how they go

My And is where do you think the improvement will come from? An improvement from rucks this year yes, but Stokes and Bundy aren't BIG clearance players.

So if you read my Op, Caddy is what we are banking on for now and future. Which brings me back to starting the thread, I think we're one short.

 

[tenderwarrior]

Jansen will be the one, and Horlin-Smith though he doesn't look like a brute seems to know how to find the ball in traffic - White collar name, but a definite blue collar player. Fremantle with Fyfe, Mundy and Barlow are huge, and it was pretty easy to see the difference. We could do with a couple more on the list. I wonder if this is a long term plan with Luxford if he can get an engine?

 

[Turbocat]

Are we talking side or list?
In the side currently , we are not one youthful mid short , more like 2 or 3. The truth is the spots that Jimmy , Kelly and to a certain degree Boris hold in the side should be have a guy 10 years younger.... thats if we were ruthlessly look forward.
Of course the lack of Caddy, Bundy, Smedts , Cowan all create this impression.

Guthrie shows what can come from gradually getting more from the development stream . Anyone that saw Bews last night would say he has potential to be like CG in a year or so. I certainly hope they give him a few games now. One may say JJ could become that player as well.

I look at our list and say its in reasonable shape, light a ruck but generally balanced. However the players that have failed to progress will have to be put under the microscope at some stage. For me its probably at years end

 

[Pure_Ownage]

Caddy will be this player and bundy will be a star.

With injuries we dont have those options at the moment.

Dont panic,they will be back

 

[Catatonic Shock]

My And is where do you think the improvement will come from? An improvement from rucks this year yes, but Stokes and Bundy aren't BIG clearance players.

So if you read my Op, Caddy is what we are banking on for now and future. Which brings me back to starting the thread, I think we're one short.

For me it's not so much that stokes and Bundy are clearance players but more that they allow the clearance players to do what they do best, win clearances. Stokes is great at finding space for the outside of contests, which if won by say selwood provides the clearance by enabling selwood to have a target, likewise Bundy.
Another thing both, as well as caddy, do well is block and help out the selwoods and SJs to give them some space and room to hit contests with pace, resulting in more chances of winning clearances.
It's not just about the clearance stat and the player who gets it but the group as a whole and the ability to allow that player to get said clearance.

 

[Partridge]

Jansen will be the one, and Horlin-Smith though he doesn't look like a brute seems to know how to find the ball in traffic - White collar name, but a definite blue collar player. Fremantle with Fyfe, Mundy and Barlow are huge, and it was pretty easy to see the difference. We could do with a couple more on the list. I wonder if this is a long term plan with Luxford if he can get an engine?

I'm continually bemused by the universally high rating Caddy gets while Horlin-Smith continues to be less noticed. Based on everything but actual output it seems.

 

[THE CAT WRANGLER]

I would like to mix it up and have a left footer attach at different angles and are neat kicks

 

[THE CAT WRANGLER]

If we can develop Jansen,Lang,Bundy & caddy and backfill with more in this draft we should be ok

Perhaps 1 x 190 +& a faster mid

 

[rooie]

I'm continually bemused by the universally high rating Caddy gets while Horlin-Smith continues to be less noticed. Based on everything but actual output it seems.

30 touches to GHS last night. 8 contested and 3 clearances.
guthrie with 29, 11 contested and 4 clearances.

2 great kids there.

 

[Spazz Cat]

We have them. Schroeder won the Liston medal last year(Brownlow of the vfl) but the club chooses to play other questionable players ahead of him IMO.
Also Jansen is probably the biggest midfielder I have ever seen and once he gets a bit fitter he's a chance to get a go.

 

[rooie]

We have them. Schroeder won the Liston medal last year(Brownlow of the vfl) but the club chooses to play other questionable players ahead of him IMO.
Also Jansen is probably the biggest midfielder I have ever seen and once he gets a bit fitter he's a chance to get a go.

jansen is of a size with mundy.

 

[Vdubs]

30 touches to GHS last night. 8 contested and 3 clearances.
guthrie with 29, 11 contested and 4 clearances.

2 great kids there.

Spot on.
And we are seeing how important a fit Bundy has been, sorely missed this year, and last pm, no Stokes either. It all adds up.

 

[Spazz Cat]

Also when has Caddy been a "gun". He had a great game against Hawthorn last year and has had some other good games. I definitely rate Guthrie and GHS ahead of him.

 

[Jimmy Yamazaki]

We have them. Schroeder won the Liston medal last year(Brownlow of the vfl) but the club chooses to play other questionable players ahead of him IMO.
Also Jansen is probably the biggest midfielder I have ever seen and once he gets a bit fitter he's a chance to get a go.

How has Jansen been in the VFL? Do you think he will get games this year in the seigniors?

 

[Jimmy Yamazaki]

Also when has Caddy been a "gun". He had a great game against Hawthorn last year and has had some other good games. I definitely rate Guthrie and GHS ahead of him.

No one said he was a gun. but most likely to fill the gap. GHS is the other one but until the club keeps him in the side (when all players are fit) I can't see it being him, which I can't understand since he fills that need as well.

 

[Spazz Cat]

jansen is of a size with mundy.

Yeah true. They weigh the same now. But Jansen is only 18. Prob has 10kg to go. Wouldn't have been too many midfielders over 100 kgs I would think.