LeverPuller
BigFooty Tanker
- Jun 23, 2011
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Initially I was going to post this on the main board, but decided you guys would appreciate it more.
Melbourne's depth is starting to become good. Balance and variety are all coming together. There are problems which I'll note though.
Defence
Defence is pretty well set. Frawley, Garland, Watts and Tom McDonald are first-choice; Sellar is first backup. Throw Gillies in here, plus Lynden Dunn. Troy Davis is developmental but may not make it.
On the smaller defender side, James Strauss, Dan Nicholson and Nev Jetta make up the brigade, and Dean Terlich now will be that rebounding type. Josh Tynan got a couple of games into him last year too, giving him a taste of what's needed.
Ultimately it's a good unit which is underrated due to the number of I50s they've copped. The big problem is next year. By me, assuming he doesn't sign this year, Frawley will be RFA in 2014. This is one time where we will have to pull out the big bucks, cos he will get offers, and unlike last year and Beamer, Frawley is well worth matching a multi-year large deal for.
Midfield
Inside mids have reloaded. On top of Nathan Jones, McKenzie, Couch and Magner, we've gotten Viney and Matt Jones. We have depth and different talents - a true constant handball type with McKenzie, a wrecking ball in Viney and a "close-inside" type in Nat Jones. (By close-inside, I mean those guys that can get to 2-3 paces outside the contest.
Those guys that can play both inside and out are critical. We already had Col Sylvia, Rohan Bail and Jack Trengove here, but now Jack Grimes slots in here as well as Jimmy Toumpas. Means we can finally thread some blokes through here rather than try to stopgap it with a Magner.
True outside types is probably our biggest 'concern'. Sam Blease is obviously critical here, but Michael Evans is good for this if he can get on the park. Dom Barry is here too, but won't play in 2013; kid is just too small yet.
The group is coming together. Now, Col Sylvia is UFA I believe, and I'll be pissed as anything if he finally has a massive year and then pisses off for cash. That said, it may not matter, as we could always reload through a draft pick if he did get big bucks - he'd be worth at least a 2nd rounder in my books. Apart from him though, the unit is going to stay together; the only other FA risk is Jones who is contracted to the end of 2015.
Forwards
Medium forwards have reduced dramatically compared to two or three years ago, but they're probably not a great role anymore unless you're amazing. Howe is the obvious one, but Dunn can slot down in here too. Tapscott plays best off here too. Really though, you only want one, maybe two mediums, rather than in previous years where we were playing all of Bate, Dunn, Miller and Robbo. Mediums on their own can't really give structure; you can't build a forward line around them as they either get beaten at ground level or beaten body-on-body.
The change is in talls. For the first time since at least Neitz and Miller, and in my eyes Schwartz and Neitz, Melbourne have multiple true tall forwards who are really ready to go. Mitch Clark is #1 of course, then Dawes is #2 and Pedersen #3. Jack Fitzpatrick is behind these guys as the #4 but could crack a big one this year. And then there's Hulk waiting for 2014. We will almost certainly play a three-tall forward line of Clark, Dawes and Pedo once Mitch is fit. This is going to stretch defences to breaking point - very few backlines can compete with 3 power forwards.
Smalls we finally have, too. Apart from Davey and Blease rotating through, we've now got Byrnes and Rodan. We almost definitely need one more, probably in the 2014 draft, as a 2-3 year development prospect, as 3 of those 4 probably won't be around in 4 years.
Rucks
The Big Rush. He's back. But there's improvement behind him too. I never wanted to see Spencer in a Melbourne jumper again at the start of 2012, but he shocked me with how much he's improved. Jamar all over again is a distinct possibility, and probably even better - Spencer's got better contest awareness than Jamar when the pill is in play. There's the rare Gawnius Maximus too...if he can ever get on the park, poor bastard. Add Mitch and Pedo rotating through here as backups - yes, Mitch will play in the ruck at times, but with a 3-tall forward line it doesn't matter as much - and you're extremely set.
Going forward
Now, obviously there's a problem with a lack of potential draft options. Right now though, in 3 years my ideal (hopefully flag-challenging) side would be:
B: Strauss/Garland Frawley Jetta
HB: Watts TMac Strauss/Terlich
C: Blease Viney Grimes
HF: Howe Dawes Barry
F: Clark Hogan (FP type)
Fol: Spencer/Gawn Jones Toumpas
Int: Evans Trengove Tapscott (Developing Player)
Obviously there's some flaws here - the need for a forward pocket is probably most critical here. The double-Strauss is because I'm not sure where he fits, and it depends on how Terlich adapts to AFL level. Spencer/Gawn could also possibly have Fitz added in there if he comes good - the best of those three will take over from Rush by then. A small defender may be in order depending on how NevJet goes down there.
Melbourne's depth is starting to become good. Balance and variety are all coming together. There are problems which I'll note though.
Defence
Defence is pretty well set. Frawley, Garland, Watts and Tom McDonald are first-choice; Sellar is first backup. Throw Gillies in here, plus Lynden Dunn. Troy Davis is developmental but may not make it.
On the smaller defender side, James Strauss, Dan Nicholson and Nev Jetta make up the brigade, and Dean Terlich now will be that rebounding type. Josh Tynan got a couple of games into him last year too, giving him a taste of what's needed.
Ultimately it's a good unit which is underrated due to the number of I50s they've copped. The big problem is next year. By me, assuming he doesn't sign this year, Frawley will be RFA in 2014. This is one time where we will have to pull out the big bucks, cos he will get offers, and unlike last year and Beamer, Frawley is well worth matching a multi-year large deal for.
Midfield
Inside mids have reloaded. On top of Nathan Jones, McKenzie, Couch and Magner, we've gotten Viney and Matt Jones. We have depth and different talents - a true constant handball type with McKenzie, a wrecking ball in Viney and a "close-inside" type in Nat Jones. (By close-inside, I mean those guys that can get to 2-3 paces outside the contest.
Those guys that can play both inside and out are critical. We already had Col Sylvia, Rohan Bail and Jack Trengove here, but now Jack Grimes slots in here as well as Jimmy Toumpas. Means we can finally thread some blokes through here rather than try to stopgap it with a Magner.
True outside types is probably our biggest 'concern'. Sam Blease is obviously critical here, but Michael Evans is good for this if he can get on the park. Dom Barry is here too, but won't play in 2013; kid is just too small yet.
The group is coming together. Now, Col Sylvia is UFA I believe, and I'll be pissed as anything if he finally has a massive year and then pisses off for cash. That said, it may not matter, as we could always reload through a draft pick if he did get big bucks - he'd be worth at least a 2nd rounder in my books. Apart from him though, the unit is going to stay together; the only other FA risk is Jones who is contracted to the end of 2015.
Forwards
Medium forwards have reduced dramatically compared to two or three years ago, but they're probably not a great role anymore unless you're amazing. Howe is the obvious one, but Dunn can slot down in here too. Tapscott plays best off here too. Really though, you only want one, maybe two mediums, rather than in previous years where we were playing all of Bate, Dunn, Miller and Robbo. Mediums on their own can't really give structure; you can't build a forward line around them as they either get beaten at ground level or beaten body-on-body.
The change is in talls. For the first time since at least Neitz and Miller, and in my eyes Schwartz and Neitz, Melbourne have multiple true tall forwards who are really ready to go. Mitch Clark is #1 of course, then Dawes is #2 and Pedersen #3. Jack Fitzpatrick is behind these guys as the #4 but could crack a big one this year. And then there's Hulk waiting for 2014. We will almost certainly play a three-tall forward line of Clark, Dawes and Pedo once Mitch is fit. This is going to stretch defences to breaking point - very few backlines can compete with 3 power forwards.
Smalls we finally have, too. Apart from Davey and Blease rotating through, we've now got Byrnes and Rodan. We almost definitely need one more, probably in the 2014 draft, as a 2-3 year development prospect, as 3 of those 4 probably won't be around in 4 years.
Rucks
The Big Rush. He's back. But there's improvement behind him too. I never wanted to see Spencer in a Melbourne jumper again at the start of 2012, but he shocked me with how much he's improved. Jamar all over again is a distinct possibility, and probably even better - Spencer's got better contest awareness than Jamar when the pill is in play. There's the rare Gawnius Maximus too...if he can ever get on the park, poor bastard. Add Mitch and Pedo rotating through here as backups - yes, Mitch will play in the ruck at times, but with a 3-tall forward line it doesn't matter as much - and you're extremely set.
Going forward
Now, obviously there's a problem with a lack of potential draft options. Right now though, in 3 years my ideal (hopefully flag-challenging) side would be:
B: Strauss/Garland Frawley Jetta
HB: Watts TMac Strauss/Terlich
C: Blease Viney Grimes
HF: Howe Dawes Barry
F: Clark Hogan (FP type)
Fol: Spencer/Gawn Jones Toumpas
Int: Evans Trengove Tapscott (Developing Player)
Obviously there's some flaws here - the need for a forward pocket is probably most critical here. The double-Strauss is because I'm not sure where he fits, and it depends on how Terlich adapts to AFL level. Spencer/Gawn could also possibly have Fitz added in there if he comes good - the best of those three will take over from Rush by then. A small defender may be in order depending on how NevJet goes down there.
