Midfield for round 1

[MR]

Honestly, why are people doubting Tuck. He is a solid midfielder who can clear the ball well and had a pretty big season in 2010. We also know that having Tuck and Foley in our midfield can be extremely damaging to other teams. Depending on how our midfield plays, will decide the match.

 

[Rayzorwire]

I just cant agree with this mate.

They have us well and truely covered at the moment.(although the gap is smaller than they would have us believe)

We are atleast 2 years away from staking claims to having a better midfield and it all relies heavily on our potential stars becoming just that. STARS!

Can make a decent case either way I think Morro, it's certainly a contentious point.

I hope Cotchin and Martin can improve considerably again, both showed tremendous signs last season, Cotchin is much closer to AFL midfielder fitness than ever before and Martin will have gained plenty with a 2nd pre-season behind him and all the experience from last year.

As you say, it may well take longer and I might be jumping the gun, but if these two can keep improving quickly and we have our full lineup available with a fit Foley, I think we have more firepower in the clearance department than the Blues and quite a few other sides.

 

[CoggaRules]

We have a better midfield on paper than Carlton does now, a better midfield than a lot of sides. We beat Carlton in '08 due to Johnson keeping Judd to 80% of normal output and still getting plenty of it himself, while just Foley and Tuck beat the rest of Carlton's midfield at the clearances playing marathon onball stints.

Our midfield has improved a hell of a lot more in personnel and depth than Carlton's in the time since, we just haven't had Foley available. If Martin and Cotchin take another step and all our mids play somewhere near their best on the night, it's one part of the ground where we can get a decisive advantage over them. That may not necessarily translate into a similar win (we had Richo and Brown up forward back in '08), but I'd be disappointed if we didn't at least beat them out of the middle with the lineup we'll hopefully be taking in.

This is the best midfield depth and quality we've taken into a season for three decades, hopefully that translates into being seriously competitive with most oppositions.

far out erayzoread guess what? we can agree on something for once.

 

[sacka]

We have a better midfield on paper than Carlton does now, a better midfield than a lot of sides. We beat Carlton in '08 due to Johnson keeping Judd to 80% of normal output and still getting plenty of it himself, while just Foley and Tuck beat the rest of Carlton's midfield at the clearances playing marathon onball stints.

Surely you are not serious mate?

This is the best midfield depth and quality we've taken into a season for three decades, hopefully that translates into being seriously competitive with most oppositions.

Houli and Grigg are both great gets, while they are not superstars they will add a lot of depth.

 

[The Rusty Trombone]

We have a better midfield on paper than Carlton does now, a better midfield than a lot of sides. We beat Carlton in '08 due to Johnson keeping Judd to 80% of normal output and still getting plenty of it himself, while just Foley and Tuck beat the rest of Carlton's midfield at the clearances playing marathon onball stints.

Our midfield has improved a hell of a lot more in personnel and depth than Carlton's in the time since, we just haven't had Foley available. If Martin and Cotchin take another step and all our mids play somewhere near their best on the night, it's one part of the ground where we can get a decisive advantage over them. That may not necessarily translate into a similar win (we had Richo and Brown up forward back in '08), but I'd be disappointed if we didn't at least beat them out of the middle with the lineup we'll hopefully be taking in.

This is the best midfield depth and quality we've taken into a season for three decades, hopefully that translates into being seriously competitive with most oppositions.

if a better midfield on paper translates the RFC having a Silver Dalorian that takes us into the future to 2013 then I agree with you. Maybe we can all do a rain dance and hope round 1 , 2011 is the same.

Judd , Murphy , Simpson , Scottland , sqibbs , and co have more going for them than brawn and experience they will also have a ruckman on the night that will tap the ball too advantage Lional Ritchie style " All night long , all night , All night long , all night! "

 

[santa claws]

i still think deledio and conca will play off the hb flanks.

still think our best 5 mids will go something like this.

c/ grigg - martin - morton/newman morton is likely to start forward.
r/ graham- cotchin - foley.

int from derickx tuck houli connors contin jackson.

still think it pointless trying to tag judd just play someone on him who can do a lot of damage going the other way.

 

[Rayzorwire]

Surely you are not serious mate?

People forget how good Foley is, if he's back playing at 80% of his ability he is for us what Judd is for Carlton - our performance peaks soar when he's in the middle.

We had Martin (21st), Tuck (20th despite playing games on the HBF), Jackson (16th) and Cotchin (11th) all elite in average clearances for the league last year, without adding Foley (and FWIW Grigg was 64th last year). There are no other sides with a group of mids that potent at winning the ball, we've just never had them fit and playing at the same time. Closest we came was against Hawthorn last year when Foley was not right but played - we absolutely smashed them in the centre and lost the game everywhere else.

Like I said, on paper Carlton's midfield can't get near those numbers, hopefully we don't have long to wait until all our boys finally play together and we get our opportunity to prove it on the field.

We'll get better with time no doubt, but if we have everyone available we'll be taking some scalps this year. I expect us to win the midfield battle most weeks (as we used to when Foley and Tuck last combined) and fall down in other parts of the ground, that's where we're quite possibly still years away.

 

[JAKLAUGHING]

Like I said, on paper Carlton's midfield can't get near those numbers

They wont not if foley's playing and kreuzer's coming back from a knee reco...

 

[_RT_]

People forget how good Foley is, if he's back playing at 80% of his ability he is for us what Judd is for Carlton - our performance peaks soar when he's in the middle.

Are you suggesting that an 80% fit Foley is as good as Judd, or simply has as much impact as Judd? Only asking to clarify before some Carlton poster goes off half cocked.

 

[tiggywigs]

Carlton's midfield class is undoubted, but I see hardness as their achilles heel. Our emerging midfield has some very tough nuts. Intensity will be the key. A sustained attack on the ball could well produce the desired upset.

 

[CoggaRules]

Are you suggesting that an 80% fit Foley is as good as Judd, or simply has as much impact as Judd? Only asking to clarify before some Carlton poster goes off half cocked.

I would suggest that its a bit far fetched, but as an impact break lines with speedplayer, Axel is in my book up with the best of them. He can have the ball in the center pack one moment and be inside 50 in the blink of an eye the next.
What unfolds from now on is debatable, in regards to what effect his injury and the lay off has had on that explosiveness. Knowing the hunger Axel has had from day one to succeed, I would suggest he has put in the work on the track and in private, to attain if not better, a similar impression on the game.

 

[Rayzorwire]

Are you suggesting that an 80% fit Foley is as good as Judd, or simply has as much impact as Judd?

Neither.

If Foley's back playing at 80% of his ability he's as important for us as Judd is for Carlton. When Foley plays our performances peak, when Judd plays Carlton's performances peak.

 

[_RT_]

Neither.

If Foley's back playing at 80% of his ability he's as important for us as Judd is for Carlton. When Foley plays our performances peak, when Judd plays Carlton's performances peak.

Fair enough.

 

[TOOs_Finest]

Carlton's midfield class is undoubted, but I see hardness as their achilles heel. Our emerging midfield has some very tough nuts. Intensity will be the key. A sustained attack on the ball could well produce the desired upset.

I agree here tiggy. Cotch and Martin are classy players, but I reckon they are both tough as nails as well. Unlike a few on here, I was quietly rubbing my hands together when Cotch got reported last year. Not so much for the incident itself, but the way he handled himself when the Roos circled around him in the aftermath. He was checked pretty closely that game (by Greenwood), and showed that he's not just going to sit back and take it. We already know he's a 'head down, bum up, go at the ball' type player. This was just a bit of icing on the cake for me.