Preview Mark Neeld's 'Gaps'

[ThePuppetMaster]

Where do we think they are?

I'm sure he means on the premise that no one currently is capable of performing those roles to a high standard, which is a reasonable statement to make I would have thought.

For me.

B: --- Frawley Garland
HB: --- Rivers ---
C: --- Trengove Sylvia
HF: Howe Watts Petterd
F: --- --- ---
R: Jamar Moloney Mckenzie
Int:
- 2nd Ruck: Martin
- Spare mid/tagger: ---
- Utility: ---
Sub: ---

That's to say, you would be confident in all those players performing theiri roles consistently for the next season. Obviously we have players that will fill and develop in some of those 'gap' roles.

For the backline spots (one shut down and two creative types) it seems as though we have;
- Grimes, Tapscott, Blease, Bennell, Bartram, Strauss and Nicholson fighting it out for three roles roles, the only reason I've left Grimes off the original line up is some doubt over whether he will play as a mid or a backman.

For the mainly outside midfield role and spare mid (or tagger) we have;
- Bail (should be best 22), Grimes (will be best 22), Jones (will be best 22), Blease, Jetta, Davey and possibly Tapscott

For the forward pocket roles (one pure crumber and one marking/crumber) we have;
- Jurrah, Davey, Green, Lawrence, Maric, Wonnaemirri

The remaining KPF spot we have;
- Howe, Cook, Fitzpatrick (and Watts if you think playing him out of the square isn't a waste).

Utilities;
- Morton, Dunn, Macdonald, McDonald.
Where do you think we legitimately don't have a player for a role?

Or a spot we don't have a player capable of developing into a good role player?

 

[LeverPuller]

You forgot my #1 hated player.
He who must not be named.
Mr. Run Away himself.
Wearing #10.
Got to be a huge candidate for the outside mid role.

I'd put Bail into the spare mid/tagger role, he's great at it. Jordie can go through here too.
Utility it depends on what you want from a player.

 

[ThePuppetMaster]

I forgot Morton?

Nice.

I remember I was going to put him under a 'utility' bracket... with T. McDonald, L. Dunn and J. Macdonald.

My bad.

 

[Theseventhhamster]

I'd have Jurrah swapped in for Howe. Bail and Grimes are the two biggest certainties IMO although as mentioned their eventual positions are up in the air.

 

[Crusty Demon]

I'd have Grimes as a midfielder. Only if his body holds up, hopefully Mission can bring something to the table!

I'd have Howe, Watts and Jurrah moving across the half forward line. All can play close to goal or higher up the ground. We are in great shape across the HF line. It's the Full forward line I'm worried about, and I'm sure Neeld is as well. Green will have to slot in at Full forward until retiring. Then one of Cook or Fitzpatrick will take over. Davey should be used like Hawks use Rioli. A dangerous small forward close to goal who can be moved to the middle in bursts. Maric and Wona also fighting for a spot as a crumbing forward.

Petterd and Morton can fill the wings. Both versatile and can be moved forward(both like kicking goals).

Bail will be our tagger/outside player. He's a better kick than Bartram and has better endurance. McKenzie will also be used as a tagger.

Blease will be our creative small backman. Pace and flare(much like Leon Davis). Strauss will hold down a role also when he's 100%. Bennell is an interesting one. Didn't quite come on liked we hoped this year, but he did play some quality games down back. So I'd have him down there as well for pace and flare. Jones would obviously keep his spot in defence as he improved greatly playing down there for a lot of the season. Tappscott would probably fill Struass's role until he got fit. But I'm really not sure where Tappscott will play in future. We need good kicks down back, but he got lost as a defender at times.

So my best 22 for next year in position would look like this:

B: Strauss Frawley Garland
HB: Blease Rivers Jones
C: McKenzie Sylvia Trengove
HF: Howe Watts Jurrah
F: Davey Green Wona
R: Jamar Moloney Grimes
IC: Martin Bail Petterd Gysberts

Morton will be pushing, but I simply can't have him in the best 22 as of now. He would have to improve greatly to be in our best 22. T. Mcdonald looked the goods as well. He'll be pushing for a spot as well as Maric and JMac. But it's a solid best 22. Some ? over our full forward line, and we could potentially trade for a forward and get one in, but right now, I see Green seeing out his days planted in the goalsquare. And the development of Blease, Strauss, Nicholson, Bennell and Tapscott will be crucial to our running defenders.

 

[ThePuppetMaster]

A good summary there CD, I think Wona will struggle to stay on the list personally.

He'll end up with a rookie spot.

I would move a Cook or Fitzpatrick into our 'full forward line', but as you say probably play Green as a full forward.

The bonus is both of those lads are tall enough to require a KPD covering them.

I'd seriously consider drafting J. Paine, he will be a player.

Then Cook can slot into CHB when he goes past Rivers.

 

[Captain Jack]

Yeah well played CD, a good Best 22 with good justifications as well. Wona obviously has the biggest ? over him at this stage but I agree with what you've written there.

 

[Canary]

So my best 22 for next year in position would look like this:

B: Strauss (Bennell) Frawley Garland
HB: Blease Rivers Jones (Grimes)
C: McKenzie (Sylvia) Sylvia (McKenzie) Trengove
HF: Howe Watts Jurrah
F: Davey Green Wona
R: Jamar Moloney Grimes (Jones)
IC: Martin Bail Petterd (Sub Gysberts

Looks good CD. Only thing is I would swap Grimes and Jones. Strauss will be out for the majority of next year, so I would bring in Bennell to cover that position and I'd also swap Sylvia and McKenzie arround. Sub would be Gysberts imo.

 

[Gazza_11]

Gysberts is far too quality to play as the sub. Is a similar style of player to Pendlebury, although not so talented. Will be a star though.

 

[Dez!]

Why isn't Grimes cemented into that HBF role?

 

[Crusty Demon]

Why isn't Grimes cemented into that HBF role?

Because many of us feel he is a gun midfielder. With Blease, Jones, Tappscott, Strauss, Bennell and Nicholson developing nicely as potential backs, I think this will free Grimes to play through the midfield. Having seen him play some pre season games in the middle, he has massive potential there. But hopefully like Richmond did with Cotchin, we can get his body right and we will see the best out of Grimes wherever he plays. But we need more talented mids, and I feel Grimes can rotate through there nicely and turn into one of our top 2 or 3 players.

 

[Crusty Demon]

A good summary there CD, I think Wona will struggle to stay on the list personally.

He'll end up with a rookie spot.

I would move a Cook or Fitzpatrick into our 'full forward line', but as you say probably play Green as a full forward.

The bonus is both of those lads are tall enough to require a KPD covering them.

I'd seriously consider drafting J. Paine, he will be a player.

Then Cook can slot into CHB when he goes past Rivers.

Cook and Fitzpatrick IMO are still way off where we want them to be as an AFL full forward. Cook needs more muscle to compete, and Fitzpatrick needs to work on a few things including his kicking and positioning. But all these things should be worked out by the time Green retires. So I can see one of these guys slotting in nicely at FF when Green leaves.

Also, I can seriously see T McDonald potentially playing full forward. He really has all the attributes, big body, good hands, solid kicking action. I loved his work effort in his few senior games at the end of the season as well. Something I hope the club thinks about anyway. He'd be physically ahead of Cook right now, so might be worth the punt if we can't land a big bodied forward over trade of draft weeks.

 

[Dez!]

Because many of us feel he is a gun midfielder. With Blease, Jones, Tappscott, Strauss, Bennell and Nicholson developing nicely as potential backs, I think this will free Grimes to play through the midfield. Having seen him play some pre season games in the middle, he has massive potential there. But hopefully like Richmond did with Cotchin, we can get his body right and we will see the best out of Grimes wherever he plays. But we need more talented mids, and I feel Grimes can rotate through there nicely and turn into one of our top 2 or 3 players.

Jones is a midfielder.

Bennell is better off up forward.

Nicholson can run but cannot kick to save his life.

Fact is none of them are better than Grimes in that particular role, until we get a replacement that can truly release him (which we don't have) he should remain there.

Blease has potential but still early.

Tapscott is the only real replacement I can see that can really free Grimes up and not severely diminish the back half.

 

[Chip_]

Where do you think we legitimately don't have a player for a role?

Or a spot we don't have a player capable of developing into a good role player?

Pretty good list, good honesty & not really kidding yourself with anyone. I would've maybe put Jurrah in a pocket, he's got areas to work on but is definitely starting 18 as 3rd tall/mid-sized forward.

I think the biggest hole is clearly Full Forward, no secret to anyone there.

And we also are pretty thin on players developing in this area too. Fitz showed just how far away he was in his 1 game, Cook finished the year after an injury in Casey 2nds.

Outside of those 2 the only other option we really have is SME. It'll be interesting what Neeld does with Stef, maybe now he's got confidence he could be moulded into a genuine KPF? Not sure, but how good if he could be our Kurt Tippett/Roughhead style Full Forward/2nd Ruckman. Ideal solution right there is they can get that out of him.

Now while I am confident in Cook having ability & being a good player (less so in Fitz), he'll take time & at present round 1 next year we don't really have a player to name at full forward.

So I think we should draft a young back-up to Cook (look at Hawthorn's draft history of 4-5 first round talls to end up now with only Buddy & Roughy left, both from the same draft) & look for some alternative options in the short term, we should look at these 2, both Callum's.

Callum Sinclair is from Port Melbourne is only 22, 200cm & a good kick, deserves a chance at AFL level, & Callum Wilson from WC, could look else where, believe he's out of contract, only 22 & behind a long list of tall forwards at WC, kicked 46 goals in the WAFL this year. Both have potential, might not be 150 game players but they'd be worth giving one a go & may at very least serve as a stop gap for a year or 2 while Cook develops.

 

[Devastating Boris]

I don't know if Bennell is in our best 22. Certainly not at the expense of Gysberts.

 

[LeverPuller]

Bennell I rate as a small back. But that's then a question of Bennell vs Bartram, and despite his kicking for me Bartram is ahead.

 

[kv_baby]

Bennell is going to be a gun, his run and carry is sex, good kick and good hands, bit of muscle and he'll be sweet

 

[Jordie_tackles]

Bennell is going to be a gun, his run and carry is sex, good kick and good hands, bit of muscle and he'll be sweet

Yeah i think he needs alot of muscle tbh, the things he does when he has the ball is all class, i call out silk whenever he gets near it.... but he needs about 15 more KG's and 10 disposals more per game imo

 

[ThePuppetMaster]

He doesn't need more muscle IMO, he really improved his commitment to the contest and footy later in the year.

He just needs a bit more confidence and get himself in positions to recieve the ball.

 

[Jordie_tackles]

He doesn't need more muscle IMO, he really improved his commitment to the contest and footy later in the year.

He just needs a bit more confidence and get himself in positions to recieve the ball.

Playing through the midfield? he weighs 75kgs.... maybe only needs 6-7 but is a rake imo, and yeah his contested ball improved started at a low point

I really want Jamie to come on, he has all the talent just think he is a bit small atm, and some wight/strength could help him win those extra 5-10 possessions a game

 

[Demon 16]

I would have identified 3 areas moer than listing positions;

• A big bodied/strong marking key forward
• More run and carry from defense
• A small forward/goalsneak

we may well unearth a couple of these roles from the current list as they develop, but if we can address these 3 issues, our list would be looking very balanced in my opinion.

 

[Jordie_tackles]

I would have identified 3 areas moer than listing positions;

• A big bodied/strong marking key forward
• More run and carry from defense
• A small forward/goalsneak

we may well unearth a couple of these roles from the current list as they develop, but if we can address these 3 issues, our list would be looking very balanced in my opinion.

Gameplan
Structure
Mentality

 

[maxmustard]

Jones is a midfielder.

Bennell is better off up forward.

Nicholson can run but cannot kick to save his life.

Fact is none of them are better than Grimes in that particular role, until we get a replacement that can truly release him (which we don't have) he should remain there.

Blease has potential but still early.

Tapscott is the only real replacement I can see that can really free Grimes up and not severely diminish the back half.

I agree with most of this, except Blease and Nicholson will play different roles to Grimes down back with running, breaking lines etc. I'd still rather have Grimes in the midfield though, as it's an area we are completely deficient in. Our defense, at least to me, is the most advanced area of our game by a mile. I felt a bit sorry for him before he got injured. Sure his kicking was poor, but he was always the qb guy trying to kick through a chess board zone to stationary players. As a team we had no idea how to combat the press, and Jacks role was to pin point passes from defense....tough gig. More importantly though Mr. Mission, please fix him. End rant.

 

[Demon 16]

Gameplan
Structure
Mentality

Neeld will be ultimately responsible for these areas for sure.

Player types are important too though - and he can only deal with the playing personel handed to him.

 

[Jordie_tackles]

Neeld will be ultimately responsible for these areas for sure.

Player types are important too though - and he can only deal with the playing personel handed to him.

There is definitely holes or deficiencies within our list, i believe that the three points i raised are of similar importance to the player roles we currently lack.

In that if Neeld can improve in the three area's proposed then the whole playing group and importantly the areas we lack structure in should improve, reducing the gaps ect