Our Midfield

[JAKLAUGHING]

McQualter and Clarke. Both are underwhelming. Teague has the forward line and Kingsley defense.

Yes not sure about Clarke...

 

[Rayzorwire]

We were a strong midfield group, but not a strong clearance side. Let the players you can't stop getting the ball get it then sweat on the bloke they gave it too. Worked so well because we were elite forward runners. Martin did it all, but Prestia, Edwards, Bolton, Lambert etc were great clearance in space players. Cotchin brought the heat. Which is why I am not overly concerned after an inconsistent performance last week. We were up at 3/4 time even thought we weren't playing well. Carlton deserve credit, their midfield is very good, especially with Cripps free of injury finally.

The problem is you need a B plan for when losing the stoppages starts to hurt, and we didn't have one. We won't get anywhere this season relying on the same old same old. New kids have to be going through the midfield, especially those with a bit of inside ability.

Agree with most of that mate, I'm sure we'll re-jig things - including the introduction of younger blood - as the season goes.

Ross played inside for significant time in both pre-season games, when RCD's right this year he'll get games as he did last year and both will do a job for us.

Watching all the games over the weekend, our field ball movement is still way above most sides. Defence was solid on Thursday, the forward line functioned well from limited opportunities, we just need to get our set-up right at stoppages.

Some of the most effective mids getting the best clearances from the weekend just gone were fast-break youngsters like Florent, Smith and Parfitt. We've got one already at that level in Bolton and I'm sure he'll be a bigger part of the mix through the year. A good mix of inside bulls and the fast-break mids is the way forward. Will be interesting to see how we match up against GWS who have a stack of insiders but lack genuine fast-break mids.

 

[nineteen eighty]

We were always relying on a healthy list to contend this year and Prestia is as close to our most important player as any.

I also think many here are underestimating the Carlton team. They actually have a great spine and very deep and strong midfield now.

And that' the thing a lot of posters have already forgotten. During preseason, the majority on here understood that the club was giving it a red hot go before list changes were made. They had earnt that right.

In order for us to have any form of success, we needed to have everything go right for us. And that Prestia was absolutely key to our success. We all knew this. We all spoke about it.

We more than likely won't be winning the flag this year. They'll get games into the young kids as the season progresses (keeping in mind it is only round 1) and we'll get a good feel by years end as to where the young kids sit.

Either way, the players earnt the right to have one final crack at it.

 

[Drunken Wookie]

Yes not sure about Clarke...

Me either, from the outer Clarke seems like a great bloke who has the players on side but whenever he speaks it's just jumbled cliches and vaguery. His player updates in the VFL were a joke.
McRae is the same though so who knows. Craig's media work is hilariously bad.

 

[juss]

Give me a name of the big bodied mid you wanted in the draft? Banks and Clarke picks might have got us up to Pick-20… gimme a name?

And trade up for Hobbs ..?? The Brown/Sonsie picks would be needed to get us to Hobbs. It’s very very early but right now I’m taking Brown and Sonsie over Hobbs.


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Matthew Johnson would have been an easy take with the Brown pick imo.

 

[Wooden Robot]

Matthew Johnson would have been an easy take with the Brown pick imo.

The guy who murdered carl Williams???

 

[juss]

There were some stats posted that since round 15 last year our midfield is 18th on contested possession differential, clearance differential and points against from clearances.

We've got major problems with our midfield and given we can't really solve the lack of power and size in season, we can kiss goodbye to a deep September run in 2022.

 

[Bird Man]

Since round 15 last year

 

[Harry Bosch]

So horrific should be rated R

Yeah not sure there is much we can do to fix it in the short term

 

[Rioli2Rioli]

Carlton are a middle of the road team and it seems were are now also.

Maybe thats because we have been winning flags and been up the pointy end of the ladder
Paying Stars big money and not having top end draft picks usually does what its designed to do - Bring you back down

We won 3 flags and need to come back to the pack

 

[tropicaltiger]

don't see why this can't
start to take some sort of shape

spesh with noah trimming up 3 or 4 kg
and dusty and trent giving him pointers
also richoman.

Noah Balta

21

Noah Balta

Age

26

Ht

194cm

Wt

105kg

Pos.

D/F

Career

Season

Last 5

D

9.8

2star

K

6.7

3star

HB

3.1

3star

M

2.7

3star

T

1.9

4star

MG

236.3

4star

D

12.0

3star

K

6.7

3star

HB

5.3

3star

M

4.0

4star

T

0.3

1star

MG

233.0

4star

D

7.0

2star

K

5.0

2star

HB

2.0

2star

M

1.8

2star

T

1.8

4star

MG

217.4

4star

23 October 1999 (age 22)
Height 194 cm (6 ft 4 in)
Weight 100 kg
Position(s) Midfielder 2023

Patrick Cripps

9

Patrick Cripps

Age

30

Ht

195cm

Wt

93kg

Pos.

Mid

Career

Season

Last 5

D

25.9

5star

K

9.8

4star

HB

16.1

5star

M

3.4

3star

T

5.8

5star

CL

7.4

5star

D

21.0

5star

K

10.1

4star

HB

10.9

5star

M

2.5

3star

T

3.8

4star

CL

6.3

5star

D

12.6

4star

K

4.8

2star

HB

7.8

5star

M

2.0

3star

T

3.2

5star

CL

1.4

4star

18 March 1995 (age 27)
Height 195 cm (6 ft 5 in)
Weight 95 kg
Position(s) Midfielder

 

[Lord of the Wings]

Maybe thats because we have been winning flags and been up the pointy end of the ladder
Paying Stars big money and not having top end draft picks usually does what its designed to do - Bring you back down

We won 3 flags and need to come back to the pack

Thats an obvious excuse but it’s just that. An excuse. Geesook has been up for a lot longer than us and look like being so for a lot longer now. Their pensioners are playing great footy while ours look like they’ve played 2 seasons too long

 

[NZ_Tiger]

Thats an obvious excuse but it’s just that. An excuse. Geesook has been up for a lot longer than us and look like being so for a lot longer now. Their pensioners are playing great footy while ours look like they’ve played 2 seasons too long

Very different game styles. The stand rule benefits teams like theirs while it kills us. Which it should, because it was bought in to **** us over.

Now we are paying the price for having a lot of players that no longer suit the way the game is being played.


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[juss]

don't see why this can't
start to take some sort of shape

spesh with noah trimming up 3 or 4 kg
and dusty and trent giving him pointers
also richoman.

Noah Balta
23 October 1999 (age 22)
Height 194 cm (6 ft 4 in)
Weight 100 kg
Position(s) Midfielder 2023

Patrick Cripps
18 March 1995 (age 27)
Height 195 cm (6 ft 5 in)
Weight 95 kg
Position(s) Midfielder

So the next Rance like KPD who was needed to become our next KPF forward saviour is now needing to trim a few kg and become our inside mid saviour?

Come on man....

Let's just admit, there are now big holes in our list, and it might be time to accept our few years at the bottom, play the kids and try and build to another contention era.

 

[tropicaltiger]

So the next Rance like KPD who was needed to become our next KPF forward saviour is now needing to trim a few kg and become our inside mid saviour?

Come on man....

Let's just admit, there are now big holes in our list, and it might be time to accept our few years at the bottom, play the kids and try and build to another contention era.

balta was never going to be a perm backman and he's too short and too valuable to be a perm ruckman, most teams will utilise an athletic, mobile, powerhouse tall man and i see balta as ours. a forward who can swing into the midfield. imagine if richo was groomed as a powerhouse running mid at baltas age instead of 31. marcas bont played his early footy both back and forward and didnt get involved as a mid until his draft year.

 

[RichmondEshays]

Since round 15 last year
View attachment 1350892

That’s a really concerning stat. By the looks of things, our midfield may only decline considering Cotchin dusty shedda etc retire and the burden is left on ross, Dow, RCD, Sonsie… I think we don’t have any other option other than to recruit a young mid such as Tom green. Otherwise we’re fkd. I seriously fear us declining back to our 37 year old terror

 

[Daka]

You don’t tap your captain on the shoulder a year after lifting the cup for the 3rd time. We get rid of Jack and Cotch last season that does far more harm than any good. How have the hawks fared after pissing off hodge, Mitchell and Lewis?

They freed up salary and got O'Meara & Tom Mitchell I would say O'Meara hasn't worked for them but Mitchell has held up his end of the bargain.
I would also say we "were" in a better position than when they got rid of Hodge/Mitchell. "probaby not now" since we wasted a trade period.

The question i will ask you is what is the point of not recruiting talented out of contract/free agents... when the club clearly thinks they are still a contender?

I'm not saying we should do a full rebuild, I'm more of the refresh/mini rebuild recruit young talented proven players that will still be there when we are a force again.

 

[Daka]

Things are as bad as the seem, because they are.

Should have got Lipinski as a minimum

Na he actually wins the footy, we won't want him sadly. we just continue to want to get smashed in the middle.

 

[Daka]

Maybe thats because we have been winning flags and been up the pointy end of the ladder
Paying Stars big money and not having top end draft picks usually does what its designed to do - Bring you back down

We won 3 flags and need to come back to the pack

There is no reason why still can't do that why? Geelong do it and they just continue to be top 8/top4 every year

 

[Rioli2Rioli]

Thats an obvious excuse but it’s just that. An excuse. Geesook has been up for a lot longer than us and look like being so for a lot longer now. Their pensioners are playing great footy while ours look like they’ve played 2 seasons too long

Our pensioners have 3 flags to their names in the last 5 years playing a bloody taxing game plan , Geelongs players make finals NOT win them

Tell me which club you would take ?

 

[Maurice Mitchell]

Were we ever mate?

None of the flags were won on the back of anything resembling a superior midfield, we broke even at best most of the time and won the game from elsewhere.

Correct mostly, but somehow our midfield dominated the 2020 finals. Still don’t know where that came from

 

[JAKLAUGHING]

Thats an obvious excuse but it’s just that. An excuse. Geesook has been up for a lot longer than us and look like being so for a lot longer now. Their pensioners are playing great footy while ours look like they’ve played 2 seasons too long

That's cos we have won 3 out of 4 GFs...which means they have played extra seasonal games re Finals! And have less time off in the Pre season...
Cumulative physical toll...summit the scats do not have to worry about...

 

[Spanish_Fly]

There were atleast 4 players available this off season who could have played a big role on the inside in our midfield that wouldn't have cost much and given our consistent run of injuries could have played all year and not stifled development of younger players, none would have cost anything really in draft capital, especially given we basically gave away one of our early 3rds.

Dunstan,
Hewitt
Greenwood
Lipinski.

Any one of these guys would have improved us significantly this year as the cascade effect of all the other mids having to play less inside would be significant. Club probably should have agreed with Trent to move on, picked up 2 of these guys, pocketed the cash and we would be in a much better position.

 

[Madtiger2006]

Dawkins, Dow, Martyn and Sonsie are a big part of the the midfield going forward. None of them played. Against Carlton we were 2 mids down in the last quarter. No prestia and Graham was buggered. Stop panicking everyone FFS . More mids to come in the next draft

 

[Grrr]

There were atleast 4 players available this off season who could have played a big role on the inside in our midfield that wouldn't have cost much and given our consistent run of injuries could have played all year and not stifled development of younger players, none would have cost anything really in draft capital, especially given we basically gave away one of our early 3rds.

Dunstan,
Hewitt
Greenwood
Lipinski.

Any one of these guys would have improved us significantly this year as the cascade effect of all the other mids having to play less inside would be significant. Club probably should have agreed with Trent to move on, picked up 2 of these guys, pocketed the cash and we would be in a much better position.

It's round 1, not round 10 or 12 where we have seen how Shedd's, Cotch and Martin have gone. Nor have we seen if Ross, RCD or Dow has added anything to the midfield, or how a new kid has come on, Cumberland, Sonsie. Or how Stack has fitted back into the lineup.

We got smashed by Cripps who basically steamrolled our midfield and was ably assisted by some good backup young players. It has taken those young players a few years to come on, but if they have talent they eventually do. The players you mentioned most likely would have added something, but none of them are stars in the Prestia mould (recruited from another club), two are young so will naturally improve, much like our young players, and two are veterans so have no upside.