List Mgmt. Our Midfield

[JustaBattler]

I’ll rank mine 1-8

1. SPS Walsh Dow Setterfield Kennedy Fisher Stocker O’Brien

2. Cuningham Polson

3. Lang

I see people are starting to see what a midfield we have

We haven’t even included Cripps (handy) Curnow (decent runner) Murphy (some skills) Charlie (has some talent) Gibbons (okay at VFL level)

I'm seeing a fair amount of agreement with regards to where SPS is currently rated - you are probably right to early to make any calls but not too early to be very confident about the group as a whole.

SPS will be a good player at worst - we all want him to be a great player - I think that this the only point being made really. Also the fact a few players are ahead of him if not well ahead is a great positive for Carlton as Club from a team perspective - it points to serious depth emerging.

 

[smashbox gill]

Agree with Dow at 1 his impact per possession will set him apart, he and Walsh will form a perfect combination in the future Dow as a bull with his burst of speed and Walsh the competitive animal who runs opponents of their feet, both competitive beasts.

I see them as our Dusty (Dow) and Cotchin (Walsh) combo

 

[Eiffel 65]

A lot depends on the year they have, but there is no chance in hell either player nets St Kilda two first round picks.

Gibbs got us two firsts but we had to give a bit back.
Treloar got two firsts with a bit going back.
Neale got two firsts with a bit going back.
Shiel got two firsts with a bit going back.
Lever got two firsts with a bit going back.

Gresham and Billings, and even Jack Martin, are nowhere near that level.

If they have a good 2019 season, a pick around 10 is probably on the money. If they struggle though, they're probably pushing back towards the second round.

Trust me. Everyone will be banging on about how we should trade for them but they won't stomach how much they will cost.

Just the same way people thought McGovern would cost us a second round pick.

Yes, I know he was in contract, but I guarantee you they'll cost more than what most people would be willing to pay.

 

[Eiffel 65]

I’ll rank mine 1-8

1. SPS Walsh Dow Setterfield Kennedy Fisher Stocker O’Brien

2. Cuningham Polson

3. Lang

I see people are starting to see what a midfield we have

We haven’t even included Cripps (handy) Curnow (decent runner) Murphy (some skills) Charlie (has some talent) Gibbons (okay at VFL level)

If we select him, I'm not writing him off.

Could surprise a few.

 

[Soapy V]

If we select him, I'm not writing him off.

Could surprise a few.

I’m not writing him off. Think he will be very good

 

[TerryWallet]

SPS should become a wonderful player, but I can see his midfield duties being usurped by Walsh.
I then feel that Kennedy and Stocker may be ultimately vying for the same position.
Because of height alone, one may say that Setterfield and Cripps can't be in the centre at the same time, but I don't see this necessarily being the case and see them being able to coexist in the same starting midfield.
Dow to me, sticks out as the one being; We have no one else like him and which is one reason I see him given more opportunity than others.

Centre square clearances have always been important, but it's conceivable and maybe even likely, that they'll be more important than ever now, given the new 6.6.6 starting positions.
My interest here is not as much as who will ultimately become the best players, but who will be charged with the duties of getting the ball moving out of the centre, the most.
Clearly Cripps will be involved in the centre more often than anyone else, but who will be the four to five who will be mostly be used to get things going our way. We can keep applying name after name here, but we'll ultimately find that only several players will get the most of the bites here.

I see the main trio in time, being Cripps, Dow and Walsh as the balance here is quite pretty for what each can do, but who knows for sure?
Once we start applying percentages to the names, the picture does start to open up. Generally we see this after the fact, but we can at least guess.

If for instance Cripps is still occupying 80% of centre ball ups with Dow & Walsh at lets even say 50%, you can already see how the squeeze comes upon the other mids we have. (I am excluding ECurnow and Murphy her for the sake of the argument, even though they'll both likely take up plenty of midfield minutes themselves in '19 & even possibly '20)

Could become a case of being capable in other facets of the game or just missing out and someone will have to miss out.

Agree with the bulk of this. This is the year to get your core spots for up to 20 or so highly rated young players if you're good enough. Who will get their desired spots? Who will get a spot that we don't foresee them in as yet? Who will miss out on a core spot.

As a January stab at it that could be quite different by the end of the year, i have:

Cripps, Kennedy, Dow, Walsh and SPS as our core mids.
Willo as a 10 year half back.
LOB as a 10 year winger.
Fish as a small forward and burst mid.
Setters and Stocker i'm not sure.

But that's why it is gonna be such an interesting year. Everything is open and spots are there to be claimed. Jimmy Bartel for instance wants SPS to play in defense. Jimmy played half back very well himself. Maybe SPS could be as effective as Wanganeen as a small defender....and it fills another core spot.

A lot of players come into the AFL as mids don't they, but a fair chunk of them find their core AFL spots elsewhere. Nick Vlastuin was a big bodied centreman for instance.

Gonna be great seeing just who grabs an automatic spot in the coach's eye every Thursday....any spot.

 

[Eiffel 65]

Does anyone know how close Cerra was to requesting a trade back to Melbourne during the trade period?

There was a lot of talk about him.

 

[katmanblue]

Walsh DID go number 1.

Hey-oo!

On [device_name] using BigFooty.com mobile app

 

[Red Bull]

Centre square starting 4 :
Kruezer Cripps Kennedy Dow

Wings :
SPS O'Brien

Inter/Rotations :
Setterfield Walsh Cuningham

Stopper :
Curnow

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Backs :
Simpson Weitering Plowman
Williamson Marchbank Newman

Forwards :
Murphy Curnow Fisher
McGovern McKay Fasolo

 

[Jabba73]

When he gets an AFL ready tank, Stocker is going to be very important. Guy hits moving targets in minimal space so they don’t have to change speed or direction. Can’t teach that s**t.

 

[Red Bull]

When he gets an AFL ready tank, Stocker is going to be very important. Guy hits moving targets in minimal space so they don’t have to change speed or direction. Can’t teach that s**t.

If and when Stocker is ready , Ed Curnow would likely be the one in the hot seat.
Timing will be about right and Stocker's dual sided disposal would be an upgrade.
Can he though match Ed's drive and desire ...

 

[TerryWallet]

If and when Stocker is ready , Ed Curnow would likely be the one in the hot seat.
Timing will be about right and Stocker's dual sided disposal would be an upgrade.
Can he though match Ed's drive and desire ...

He is talking a good game so far. And he looks in ripping nick. Just obviously not a natural endurance guy. But i don't think workrate or dedication will stop him.

Quote from him from pre-season the other week: wtte "I got great confidence from how Carlton aquired me. I can guarantee everyone at Carlton that i will give everything to my career".

EDIT: The actual quote:

"I didn’t think too much about it until when Carlton read my name out. I was certainly very excited to come to a club with such a rich history.
"What ‘Bolts’ and SOS said to me afterwards really instilled some confidence in me. It’s certainly a vote of confidence and I can’t help but to repay that. However my career goes, I won’t leave a stone unturned."

 

[HereComesJuddy]

Walsh DID go number 1.

Whoosh
Did make me giggle reading this though

 

[Jabba73]

If and when Stocker is ready , Ed Curnow would likely be the one in the hot seat.
Timing will be about right and Stocker's dual sided disposal would be an upgrade.
Can he though match Ed's drive and desire ...

Hope so, seems to have the tools, could be anything if he has the drive to push himself

 

[Red Bull]

He is talking a good game so far. And he looks in ripping nick. Just obviously not a natural endurance guy. But i don't think workrate or dedication will stop him.

Quote from him from pre-season the other week: wtte "I got great confidence from how Carlton aquired me. I can guarantee everyone at Carlton that i will give everything to my career".

Great quote isnt it ...
Coupled with what appear to be 2 other young pro's in Walsh and O'Brien its a benchmark attitude going forward now.

 

[JustaBattler]

Didn't SOS and his team say that they rated Stocker in the top6 in this draft? Pretty high praise I would have thought. Will be fascinating to see how he develops over the next couple of years.

 

[TooBlue14]

Whoosh
Did make me giggle reading this though

I probably needed some kind of emoticon afterwards for context.

 

[Love the Drake]

EXPERIENCED MIDS:
Cripps/Ed/Murph will spend significant time on the ball

NEXT TIER:
I am a huge fan of Kennedy - can't wait to see him fully fit. Will play plenty of minutes in the middle.
Setterfield - Obviously a highly rated junior (as an onballer), but if he gets fully fit he should play plenty of minutes on ball
Lang - not sold on him as an onballer - hff changing on ball
Gibbons - could be a smoky - knows how to find the ball.

YOUNGSTERS:
Walsh - after watching him train he is a lock to play round 1 - I can see him playing wing (great endurance) with stints on the ball. Will be a superstar..
Dow will hopefully overcome the 2nd year blues and continue his progression as a pure onballer.
Fisher is a jet. Will play plenty of minutes on ball.
SPS will be interesting - has more ability than most, just needs a big pre season to display his talents. Could be an A grader if he hits his straps.
JSOS - may find himself changing on the ball but not first selection midfielder.
O'Brien is more of a wing/hbf'r.
Stocker - pure mid who will hopefully be given time to develop in the VFL.
Cuningham - needs to show something.

***this shows how thin we are for experienced onballers. After Cripps/Ed/Murph we are relying on kids who have played less than 40 games.

ONBALLERS:
Cripps
Ed
Murph
Kennedy
Dow
Fish
SPS
Setterfield

BACKUPS:
JSOS
Stocker
Gibbons
Lang
Cuningham

ROUND 1 Starting 4 :
Kruezer Cripps Ed (tagger) Dow

Wings (can rotate on ball):
Murphy Walsh

Other rotations :
Kennedy Fish Setterfield SPS

9 onballers..

 

[passmark]

Also good news that we now have multiple top level draft picks fighting it out for field positions.

Our selection policy, for the last two years, has been (by and large) to pump games into our high end selections. I understand the logic but it potentially might also introduce an element of complacency among some players. There have been times in the last two seasons we've had nothing in the magoos.

Now we have lots of top enders and some with something to prove and (if training reports are accurate) Sam walsh beasting it in the pre-season might hav some of our other high rankers thinking they may need to up their output.

 

[Eiffel 65]

EXPERIENCED MIDS:
Cripps/Ed/Murph will spend significant time on the ball

NEXT TIER:
I am a huge fan of Kennedy - can't wait to see him fully fit. Will play plenty of minutes in the middle.
Setterfield - Obviously a highly rated junior (as an onballer), but if he gets fully fit he should play plenty of minutes on ball
Lang - not sold on him as an onballer - hff changing on ball
Gibbons - could be a smoky - knows how to find the ball.

YOUNGSTERS:
Walsh - after watching him train he is a lock to play round 1 - I can see him playing wing (great endurance) with stints on the ball. Will be a superstar..
Dow will hopefully overcome the 2nd year blues and continue his progression as a pure onballer.
Fisher is a jet. Will play plenty of minutes on ball.
SPS will be interesting - has more ability than most, just needs a big pre season to display his talents. Could be an A grader if he hits his straps.
JSOS - may find himself changing on the ball but not first selection midfielder.
O'Brien is more of a wing/hbf'r.
Stocker - pure mid who will hopefully be given time to develop in the VFL.
Cuningham - needs to show something.

***this shows how thin we are for experienced onballers. After Cripps/Ed/Murph we are relying on kids who have played less than 40 games.

ONBALLERS:
Cripps
Ed
Murph
Kennedy
Dow
Fish
SPS
Setterfield

BACKUPS:
JSOS
Stocker
Gibbons
Lang
Cuningham

ROUND 1 Starting 4 :
Kruezer Cripps Ed (tagger) Dow

Wings (can rotate on ball):
Murphy Walsh

Other rotations :
Kennedy Fish Setterfield SPS

9 onballers..

Thin for experience but deep for talent.

 

[Soapy V]

could be anything if he has the drive to push himself

With Stocker that definitely isn’t an issue

 

[Soapy V]

Thin for experience but deep for talent.

Is it that thin? Cripps is mature as is Curnow, Murphy still there maybe Lang, Simmo around the flanks and SPS Kennedy Setterfield entering 4th years plus I think Newman Gibbons Charlie may spend some time in the middle. Don’t forget Kruezer. I like the balance and the way it’s transitioning and we have options

As I have said previously the biggest interest for me is how Bolton balances and uses all this

 

[HARKER]

2016: SOS rated Setterfield as the best mid in the draft. (best player actually)
2016: SPS was rated at around 3/4 and we got him at 6 (5 really as Setterfield was bid on by us)
2017: SOS rated Dow as the best mid. (best player actually)
2018: Walsh was rated as the best mid/player in the draft...obviously.
2018: Stocker was rated as the sixth best player and likely the second best mid in the draft.

You'd have to say that if we haven't got the core of a quality midfield here, something terribly bad has gone wrong at the club.

 

[Blue_Fusion]

2016: SOS rated Setterfield as the best mid in the draft. (best player actually)
2016: SPS was rated at around 3/4 and we got him at 6 (5 really as Setterfield was bid on by us)
2017: SOS rated Dow as the best mid. (best player actually)
2018: Walsh was rated as the best mid/player in the draft...obviously.
2018: Stocker was rated as the sixth best player and likely the second best mid in the draft.

You'd have to say that if we haven't got the core of a quality midfield here, something terribly bad has gone wrong at the club.

Dow imo, has shown he's set to make it at AFL level.

I'm pretty confident that Setters will get his body right and make a big impact this year.

SPS needs to get that first full pre-season under his belt and we'll see what sort of impact he can make coming into 2019 fully prepared. Hopefully he can take those glimpses we've seen over the past 2 years and put in more consistency.

Walsh obviously he's set to make a significant impact in the first couple of seasons we'll see what he's got.

Stocker is the only one that wasn't rated that highly by most of the other recruiters. So if he makes a big impact, then that should show that something has gone right at the club because with the other 4, pretty much every recruiter had them rated around where we drafted them so can't really blame the club if they don't turn out the way we want them to, imo the onus would have to be put on the players themselves.

 

[TerryWallet]

2016: SOS rated Setterfield as the best mid in the draft. (best player actually)
2016: SPS was rated at around 3/4 and we got him at 6 (5 really as Setterfield was bid on by us)
2017: SOS rated Dow as the best mid. (best player actually)
2018: Walsh was rated as the best mid/player in the draft...obviously.
2018: Stocker was rated as the sixth best player and likely the second best mid in the draft.

You'd have to say that if we haven't got the core of a quality midfield here, something terribly bad has gone wrong at the club.

Johnny Barker - Stoppages Coach = Shudders

At least he is not Chief of Strategy again. Time for Johnny to buck his trend.