Matty's List Breakdown.

[mattys123]

Ok, I was bored again, so here we go.

Matty’s List Breakdown.

With everyone having their own opinions on where out list needs fixing, I though I’d give a list breakdown a shot. I knocked this up fairly quickly, so any major areas I am wrong, please tell me and I will edit.

Number in Bracket represents age at end of March next year.

Backline

Tall Defenders – 190cm +
Leigh Brown (28)
Nathan Brown (22)
Tyson Goldsack (22)
Nick Maxwell (26)
Simon Prestigiacomo (32)
Ben Reid (21)
Total = 6. Required = 8
Harry O’Brien at 187cm may be considered a tall also, but even that would leave our list one short on tall defenders.

Small to Medium Defenders – Under 190cm
Jarrad Blight (19)
Shannon Cox (23, 24 by round 2/3)
Luke Rounds (19)
Heath Shaw (24)
Harry O’Brien (23)
Alan Toovey (22)
Jaxson Barham? (21)
Total = 6 or 7. Required = 6 or 7.
Age and experience is the problem with this line, with players like Blight, Rounds and Cox not reliable enough yet. The 7th could be Jaxson Barham, as I see him as a pure defensive player.

Midfield

Inside Midfielders
(Defined as players who are capable of winning their own ball, clearances and hard contests)
Dayne Beams (20)
Brent Macaffer (22)
Shane O’Bree (30)
Scott Pendlebury (22)
Steele Sidebottom (19)
Total = 5, Required = 6
Age and Experience a problem at both ends here, O’bree is our leading clearance player, yet his best football is behind him. I really see MaCaffer as a tough hard mid, who can go forward or back also, and Steele and Dayne are as tough as they get. Thankfully Pendles will take over from O’Bree next year as leading clearance player.

Average Midfielders
(Defined as mids who can win their own ball, but aren’t real in and under types)
Dane Swan (26)
Leon Davis (28)
Sharrod Wellingham (21)
John McCarthy (20)
Dale Thomas (22)
Total = 5. Required =4.
No problems here, probably out strength area as far as depth is concerned. Ben Johnson only age concern.

Outside Midfielders
(Defined as almost uncapable of winning own hard ball, or rely on others for possessions)
Alan Didak (27)
Ben Johnson (29)
Total =2. Required =4.
One of our major areas for concern. If Didak is stopped, we lack run out of the middle, away from Dane Swan who also acts as an outside mid at times. Need to fix this area, either through draft or trade, but this area does not win you premierships, so not a cut throat area.

Forwards

Tall Forwards – 190cm +
Jack Anthony (22)
Travis Cloke (23)
Chris Dawes (21)
Sean Rusling (23)
Total = 4. Required = 5 or even 6. (resting ruck)
Major area of concern, probably our worst area. We need depth here, we have tried Rocca, Fraser, Wood, Bryan here and they have all failed recently. Need at least one more, or Dawes and Rusling will have huge pressure on them.

Small to Medium Forwards – Under 190cm
Brad Dick (21)
Tarkyn Lockyer (30)
Paul Medhurst (28)
Total = 3. Required = 4.
We will need to phase in a small forward next year to replace Lockyer. Blair may be this option, but with Thomas, Wellingham, McCarthy, MaCaffer, Didak etc all spending time up forward, I am not too concerned with our small forwards.

Rucks
Josh Fraser (28)
Cameron Wood (23)
Total = 2. Required = 3.
We have a problem here, we would only need 1 more ruck if Fraser was reliable for next year, but because of his knee he probably isn’t. Area of huge concern.




Judging by that, we need;

1 Ruckman
1 Tall Forward
2 Outside Midfielders
1 Inside Midfielder
2 Tall Defenders

That is if we are to have the high depth list that is required for our style of play to be successful come finals time.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NOTE:
Cook, Stanley, Bryan, Clarke, Rocca and Corrie left out, I think they all have little to offer us.

Rookies;

John Bennell (small forward): Needs at least 1 full season in the VFL before consideration for promotion.
Jarryd Blair (small mid/forward): The only one in contention to be promoted before next season starts.
Tristan Francis (small mid/forward/tagger): Hard kid, has to work on skills, needs at least 1 whole season in the VFL.
Lachlan Keefe (Ruckman/Tall Defender): No where near AFL level yet (pity), also needs another VFL season under his belt.
Scott Reed (Tall Defender/Tall Forward): Very quick for his size, a Ryan Lonie type player, might be promoted during next year.
Tobias Thoolen (Tall Defender): No future.

That leaves 6 spots on the list before Trade week and rookie elevations.

To clarify again;

Judging by that, we need;

1 Ruckman
1 Tall Forward
2 Outside Midfielders
1 Inside Midfielder
2 Tall Defenders

That is if we are to have the high depth list that is required for our style of play to be successful come finals time. (In a perfect world)

 

[smiddaz123]

Wellingham as a purely outside midfielder?

He's one of our best clearance winners currently. His inside work is far better than his outside work.

Didak and Johnson are both completely outside. Both Leon and Sharrod should be in the 'average'.

 

[mattys123]

^^^^^, You are probably right, switched them around, not that it makes much difference.

We do lack outside mids.

 

[Jonno_]

Wellingham as a purely outside midfielder?

He's one of our best clearance winners currently. His inside work is far better than his outside work.

Didak and Johnson are both completely outside. Both Leon and Sharrod should be in the 'average'.

I totally disagree. Davis and Wellingham are both purely outside midfielders IMO. Never in my life have I seen either of them at the bottom of the pack.

I would say our PURE outside mids are Didak, Davis, Wellingham and Johnson, mostly outside is Thomas, and hybrids Swan, McCarthy, Sidebottom and Macaffer.

 

[smiddaz123]

I totally disagree. Davis and Wellingham are both purely outside midfielders IMO. Never in my life have I seen either of them at the bottom of the pack

You've never seen Wellingham at the bottom of a pack?

Sorry, but that's completely and utterly wrong. No idea what you've been watching.

 

[TheGreatGrundy]

Wellingham certainly has the softness usually associated with an outside mid. A question. If outside mids are defined as people who can't win their own ball, why are they at all desirable? Would they not be better defined as speedy outsiders or running mids or outside runners? Wouldn't a runner who can win his own ball be better than a runner who relies on being fed?

 

[Pies_10]

I agree a ruckman is our biggest need at the moment.
Also a running midfielder. (eg Davey)

 

[sloth6]

Since when is Macaffer a midfielder. F**k me, wouldn't have spent any time in the midfield and to say he can win his own contested ball is laughable. He has probably played under a handful of games and would be lucky to have more than 15 possies total.

He played half back in the two's this year and won the goal kicking last year.

Inside midfielder

and in my opinion will never be a midfielder

 

[Coodabeen]

ok my first post, I have been reading the boards for a while now.

Few comments

The relation between our lack of outside mids and quality tall forwards is not be undervalued. The talent of those mid size forwards is enough for us to be a quality team. However the lack of mids who have the ability to break the lines and hit a target at pace is terrible. Mick has obviously thought this into our game plan with option A go wide at the forefront of everyones minds, though this will only win you so many games.

If we look at addressing the outside mid weakness then a similiar game style to the bulldogs could be adapted with the likes of cloke rusling and anthony faster than the regular tall forward but still strong enough overhead.

But then again our mids need first use of the ball by a ruckmen....

 

[itwdandy]

Can no one else see that our BIGGEST problem is we get SMASHED out of the middle? We have plenty of guys who can kick goals... (evident by finishing top 4 in H&A season without anyone kicking 50 goals or more) so i disagree that our forward line needs work..

We need 2 ready made clearance players... When we come up against a team with a gun midfield we get smashed... (ie St.Kilda, Geelong, Carlton, Hawthorn)

We need another 3 inside clearance players... When we get the ball out of the middle first more often than the opposition we win... We have enough mids that can kick goals.

 

[abs_of_STEELE]

Since when is Macaffer a midfielder. F**k me, wouldn't have spent any time in the midfield and to say he can win his own contested ball is laughable. He has probably played under a handful of games and would be lucky to have more than 15 possies total.

He played half back in the two's this year and won the goal kicking last year.

Inside midfielder

and in my opinion will never be a midfielder

He did play in the middle a bit and won his own ball in the SF against Adelaide. From memory he had about 20 touches in that game.

I guess he hasn't really shown too much yet but we need to give him a chance because he definitely has the right size for an inside mid.

 

[absy]

Since when is Macaffer a midfielder. F**k me, wouldn't have spent any time in the midfield and to say he can win his own contested ball is laughable. He has probably played under a handful of games and would be lucky to have more than 15 possies total.

He played half back in the two's this year and won the goal kicking last year.

Inside midfielder

and in my opinion will never be a midfielder

I hear didak is only a forward. Players don't change positions ever..

 

[Jonno_]

Wellingham certainly has the softness usually associated with an outside mid. A question. If outside mids are defined as people who can't win their own ball, why are they at all desirable? Would they not be better defined as speedy outsiders or running mids or outside runners? Wouldn't a runner who can win his own ball be better than a runner who relies on being fed?

Yes but Chris Judd and Gary Ablett don't grow on trees.

 

[Optimax]

Personally i would classify barham as an inside mid at his very very best, think he is too short for small defender

 

[sloth6]

I hear didak is only a forward. Players don't change positions ever..

Please absy, don't kid yourself mate.

 

[mattys123]

Personally i would classify barham as an inside mid at his very very best, think he is too short for small defender

I see Barham as a purely defensive player, as you just don't want him to get the ball.

But he tackles hard, actually has a defensive side to his game, therefore I put him down back in a Ben Johnson like tagging role on small forwards like Betts, Milne etc.

As for MaCaffer, I see him as a "future" inside midfielder, he is tough, has a strong body, and showed a little against Adelaide in the final in contested situations. Only a hunch, but we will need at least one more inside mid to help Pendles, Swan, Rusty and Beams.

 

[mattys123]

Haha, love the trade winds, we should be able to get a good deal for Chris Bryan.

 

[Snag Breac]

A warm mug of beer as Eddie would say

I think he meant we would move him on, be very surprised if we didn't

I heard that he's off to the......wherever Rocca's gone. NFL, is it?

 

[TomBolt]

You've never seen Wellingham at the bottom of a pack?

Sorry, but that's completely and utterly wrong. No idea what you've been watching.

I'm with you. Needs glasses maybe?

 

[Pie eyed]

You've never seen Wellingham at the bottom of a pack?

Sorry, but that's completely and utterly wrong. No idea what you've been watching.

The Boot has done a few decent run with jobs as well.

Toward the end of the season he had a few "outside" roles but Wellingham does go into packs when needed.

He has not cemented a spot but this is good incentive to improve, build up and have a big pre-season.