Our Midfield - Our Current Failure and Start of our Rebirth

Wow Rowe speaking to Brad Crouch just unloaded on ROB saying his ruck craft is poor compared to Sauce.

Followed by "that's not an excuse mind you" in typical Rowe form.

Both he and Bickley were calling for ROB to be dropped for Jacobs for most of last year. Absolutely clueless.
 

Sidthehat

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I’d like to experiment and put Brad at the graveyard HFF Position for an entire game, and Matt as the defensive sweeping wingman.

0 Center bounces. See how our midfield reacts
With him likely gone at the end of the season it might be the only way he retains value. If rest of season continues in this vein I we'll get end of round 1 compensation.
 

Sidthehat

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Wow Rowe speaking to Brad Crouch just unloaded on ROB saying his ruck craft is poor compared to Sauce.

Followed by "that's not an excuse mind you" in typical Rowe form.
Crouch is a terrible guest to have on. No insight. No bantz. No passion for club.
 

mattymac

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Crouch is a terrible guest to have on. No insight. No bantz. No passion for club.
Yeah when asked if he was disappointed about speculation around his future at the crows he seemed more concerned that he's not allowed to talk to other clubs until the new CBA arrangements come through.

I used to really like Crouch as a youngster but at the moment the lack of serious effort is turning me off. He's not alone in that though. Seems to be a common affliction among crows senior players. Best exampled by Laird.

They just seem to have become millionaires that don't have any competitiveness left in them.
 

Santoz

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My 2 cents as an outsider looking in is that you'll need the Crouch's for the rest of this year and at least the next so that you can drip feed experience to your kids through the middle as to not overexpose them. Last thing you need is them being belted and losing too much confidence.

I also don't mind Wilson either having watched a bit of your twos.
 
May 17, 2009
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My 2 cents as an outsider looking in is that you'll need the Crouch's for the rest of this year and at least the next so that you can drip feed experience to your kids through the middle as to not overexpose them. Last thing you need is them being belted and losing too much confidence.

I also don't mind Wilson either having watched a bit of your twos.
He dislocated his shoulder in the scratch match.
 
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I’m starting to think Smith is best to leave at half back, both for himself and the team. Forget the midfield for him.

Also thinking Milera won’t be the star mid and will be better used on a forward flank with spurts in the midfield. 12 touches up forward from him may be better than 20 off half back.

Milera hates playing fwd
 
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After watching the third quarter from last week, the midfield set up terribly and there was zero defensive running. But some of the passages of play by the boys highlighted some changes.

Forward
After watching one play with tex and Fog, it reinforced how good these guys are at delivering by foot. The key is to get them more involved.

We should be playing both on the HF line with Crocker/Davis along with McAdam deep forward. Ned next to them with Crouch alongside Fog and Tex.

This pushes out Lynch and Murphy and raises the question of where go play Frampton/Himmelberg or do we rely of Fisher?

Centre
I would move Lynch onto a wing (he had the most metres gained) with Smith on the other wing. Milera takes up the centre role. This provides some speed, metres gained and strength although Lynch would need to tidy his disposal up or he's out.

Back
Talia, Doedee, Brown, Kelly, Laird and Hamill make up the back 6. Would still like to see Sholl and Macpherson and Laird is most in danger.

Foll
ROB supported by Sloane and Jones

IC
MCrouch, Murphy, Atkins, Fish

Outs: Seeds ( not gaining enough), Keays

This adds some more defensive mids, moves Tex and Fog into play and gets more zip deep forward.
 
Hately still not picked for GWS.

If that was one of our young (Victorian born) players, other clubs would be all over him like McGovern with a zinger box.
 
You have obviously seen more of him than I so happy to take your word, mind you I have seen Maxy Gawn have some howlers in front of goal

It's probably the same level.

If ROB kicks a goal from a set shot, it's just luck.
 

hugecannon

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I’d give Laird the rest of the season as a genuine midfielder, his play across HB had declined massively over the last 12 months and his position should be used to introduce and blood younger players.

As for ROB, I’d be curious how his HO and HOA stats compare between centre bounces and stoppages around the ground. My feel is he’s struggling in the middle as his leap is limited and our midfield is consistently flat footed and reactive, but he’s a lot stronger around the ground where he can use his body and his second efforts really come to the fore.
 
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Looking back...I think the 6,6,6 rule is what's really exposed us. Whenever we lost the midfield prior to this we could always throw Betts or Charlie off the back of the square to pressure the opposition mids and shore up the defence. That's no longer an option, so you do need the right mix. I'm not even sure where we start, however. The likes of Rozee and Duursma would've been perfect....but that horse has bolted.
 

jirkago

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I think the bigger issue is effort. In the last 15 or so games including last year, we have had no try effort. Both Crouches don’t spread or defend, it’s their opponents that are doing damage.

I hope Nicks gives Jones and a few others opportunities in the midfield. The next few years are going to be development for our young kids so give them a go even if they fail. Playing kids will only help them improve.

My only concern is McAsey, we need him to develop but he needs to have confidence. He looked shot last week after a couple of goals were kicked on him.


On iPhone using BigFooty.com mobile app
 

dylan123

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I just went through all our games this year to breakdown how many centre bounce attendances we've had for each game, I wish I knew a better way to display the data but it gets messy with so many names and rounds without a table you can sort through so I'm just going to throw the raw excel numbers up.

Raw numbers =
Urr4WL3.png


As a percentage =
LvUXxsU.png



Think it's interesting seeing earlier in the year where we would give some of our wingers/runners like Smith/Atkins/Seedsman a bit of a run. We then looked towards Keays, Jones a little more. Over the past month we've really refined it to ROB, Crouch x2, Sloane and Laird. Himmelberg t aking a couple but nothing else really.

Wonder if going to our best in the midfield has seen the change rather then when we were rotating a lot more guys through the middle?
 

dylan123

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Anzacpaul see the above, outside of Poholke getting a little bit of a run in the middle in round 13, we've basically reverted to just using our core guys.

To be fair, it's worked as we've certainly been more competitive and guys like Jones weren't getting it done. That said, it is somewhat alarming that none of the younger guys were seeing any contests at all, figured Schoenberg would see a couple a quarter at least - I suppose when there are only 5 odd a quarter due to lack of goals, makes it tougher.
 
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Anzacpaul see the above, outside of Poholke getting a little bit of a run in the middle in round 13, we've basically reverted to just using our core guys.

To be fair, it's worked as we've certainly been more competitive and guys like Jones weren't getting it done. That said, it is somewhat alarming that none of the younger guys were seeing any contests at all, figured Schoenberg would see a couple a quarter at least - I suppose when there are only 5 odd a quarter due to lack of goals, makes it tougher.
Shoenberg is an out and out midfielder, how does he not get one centre contest the whole game?

Half forward is the ruin of Adelaide's youth. A nothing position that stagnates development and should be reserved for rotating midfielders.

It's not a position anyone should be playing 100% game time in.
 
Shoenberg is an out and out midfielder, how does he not get one centre contest the whole game?

Half forward is the ruin of Adelaide's youth. A nothing position that stagnates development and should be reserved for rotating midfielders.

It's not a position anyone should be playing 100% game time in.

Now, this is 100% the truth.

Want to kill a kids career? Put him on our half forward flank without midfield time.
 
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Midfield for 2021 to 2024

Laird
M Crouch
Sholl
Schoenberg
Jones
Holland
Milera


With guys like Sloane, McHenry, Stengle, Smith and MacAdam in the mix at stoppages across the ground but primarily forward and back.


It is not too bad. Probably lacks some top end class. But overall something to work with.



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Midfield for 2021 to 2024

Laird
M Crouch
Sholl
Schoenberg
Jones
Holland
Milera


With guys like Sloane, McHenry, Stengle, Smith and MacAdam in the mix at stoppages across the ground but primarily forward and back.


It is not too bad. Probably lacks some top end class. But overall something to work with.



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I think Keays has earnt the right to be part of the midfield setup going forward. But you’re right, it’s a very working class midfield at this stage.
 
Midfield for 2021 to 2024

Laird
M Crouch
Sholl
Schoenberg
Jones
Holland
Milera


With guys like Sloane, McHenry, Stengle, Smith and MacAdam in the mix at stoppages across the ground but primarily forward and back.


It is not too bad. Probably lacks some top end class. But overall something to work with.



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Yeah, 'something to work with' is probably a good summary of that midfield group. The outside midfield is looking very solid at the moment with Hamill and Sholl flashing a very high ceiling and could easily end up terrorising sides for the next decade if they stay healthy/confident. Factor in Milera as a rotation and potentially Edwards who is rated as a good kick of the football (or another draftee, though I'm comfortable with the assumption we will have Luke Edwards on our list in 2021, without any intel of course) and its certainly the makings of an outside core that'll cut teams to ribbons if given a lick of space.

It does certainly get spotty as you push towards the contest though. Keays had a month or so where he looked like he could be a top notch clearance player, though regressed off that pace. Laird and Matt Crouch are probably a solid enough 1-2 to cover a lot of the younger kids... then well, it's a lot of question marks. Schoenberg had a good first season and could find himself in the conversation for an AA spot in a few years if all goes well. Jones is the same, though will need to bounce back from a rough year quickly. McHenry would be a good in and under player to complement that group, but needs 5-7 kg on that frame badly. Sloane is probably going to regress. O'Connor is a mystery.

It definitely needs a big bodied midfielder added to it. Probably needs two if anything and a few players to come on/trades to get it to an above average midfield. At least there is a bit of class in that group already with Scho and Jones if they do make it which should help any climb, though of course, more class the better.
 
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Assuming something like this is the starting 22 for next year (assuming Brad leaves):

B: Brown, Talia, Doedee
HB: Hamill, McAsey, Smith
C: Milera, Laird, Sholl
HF: Sloane, Fogarty, McHenry
F: McAdam, Himmelberg, Murphy
R: O'Brien, Mrouch, Schoenberg
I/C: Jones, Keays, McPherson, Hollands/Lynch

For 2021 I'd be running a center bounce rotation of largely six midfielders + ROB/Himmelberg. Probably these guys:

M Crouch
Laird
Schoenberg
Keays
Jones
Milera

With McHenry getting the occasional few rotations through there as well, maybe 5 or 6 per game?

If we get Hately you probably roll him through the center bounces more than a guy like Milera, as well
 
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